The Thief and the Alchemist
by BlackRoseAki
Summary: Varian's been ridiculed, mocked, and scorned for his interest in alchemy. That is why he works alone. After a project endangers the town, he has to have a mentor for the summer. Can he learn to trust his new mentor Eugene or will that summer mean nothing? Warning: spanking will be involved.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note: I hope you guys like my first fanfiction. I have written before, but never fanfiction, even though I read plenty. This story is based off the new tv show called, "Tangled: The Series." Its a pretty good show, you should try it as well. You may understand the first few chapters if you at least see the first episode. I do not own any thing related to Tangled. Thank you for reading!**

Chapter One

In a small village in the kingdom of Corona, a young teen sat in the forest all alone. The adolescent was hiding in hopes that he does not destroy anything else that day. He sat on a fallen log, lost in his thoughts. The lad, Varian, is a scientist interested in the field of alchemy.

He had discovered some old tunnels under his makeshift studio. These passageways traveled all over the town. Instead of telling anyone of his discovery, he decided to work on a project underneath the town. He built five large tanks in different places in the hidden passageways. In each tank, he combined water and a homemade chemical that causes heat. One drop of the compound can heat water for months, allowing his settlement access to hot water. He had worked on this project for over a year now. He had only wanted to help his rural community to prove himself as a scientist. Alas, his act of kindness destroyed his own workshop and damages part of the town.

Earlier that day, the princess of Corona has come to see him. She was seeking his expertise in regards to the mystery of her long hair. Varian was having her go through some testing to find out more about her hair when her suitor burst in. The young man was Eugene Fitzherbert, also known as Flynn Rider. Varian was a huge fan of the man, so of course he decided to reveal his secret venture under the town.

Eugene was worried about the safety of the plan because of the chaotic tremors is seemed to cause. He encouraged the boy to turn off his project till a more experienced researcher can examine it. Varian had reluctantly obliged and rushed to turn his machines off. In his haste, he accidentally spilled his unstable potion. It started to cause the whole project to go haywire.

The boy was able to turn off the machine, but knew that it might still be combustible. His only hope was to turn off the other machines to prevent a mass explosion. He was running towards that other hidden locations of the machine when the princess's lady in waiting stopped him.

"Listen, kid! We got to get out of here," warned Cassandra, as she seized the boy's arm to stop him from running into more danger. "No! No! No, I got three more pumps to shut off and I can't let this happen again!" exclaimed Varian when he was stopped in his tracks. Their conversation was cut off as a huge piece of metal came hurtling at them. Luckily, it had landed around the two and not on top of them.

In the young alchemist's workshop, princess Rapunzel and her suitor Eugene tried escaping as the building fell apart around them. Finally, the two stilled and looked at each other with only love in their eyes. They whispered, "I love you" to one another one last time. As the shop collapsed on the two, Rapunzel's golden hair started to form a sphere around the two. Her new indestructible hair saved the two from death once more. The two looked at each other with wonder as they came out of the wreckage unscathed.

Varian and Cassandra were climbing out of the gigantic tube that almost crushed them when a strong looking older man, along with a few other villagers, came to the large clearing where Varian's small workshop had once stood. He frantically looked around for his only son. "Varian! Varian!" he hurriedly called out.

Rapidly, Varian paled as he softly whispered, "Oh, oh . . . it's my dad," to Cassandra. Varian's father hastily spotted him as the two finished scrabbling out of the large scrap of metal. The tall man embraced his only remaining family member. "Are you okay? What happened?" The man said as he now looked at his son with a tense expression on his face. "Dad, I'm sorry," Varian apologized in a guilty voice. All his father said was "Not again, Varian" as he looked at him with his tired old eyes. The man slowly turned away from his son as he asked the surrounding villagers "Is everyone okay?"

"Look at this mess! How are we going to afford to fix this disaster?" questioned one man from the crowd. Other people started to question as well. "Yeah, how can we continue to fix the town every other week?" Worries started echoing through the small clearing as the townsfolk all glared at the young outcast. Varian could not handle any more comments about what he had caused and just ran off into the forest before his father could say a word.

"I may be able to help fix this issue," said of regal voice above all. Princess Rapunzel stood tall as she tried to calm to citizens of Corona. Eugene and Cassandra stood on by both sides of her to silently support her. "Princess Rapunzel," everyone whispered as they recognized her long golden hair. "No need to bow. I am not here as your princess, but as your friend. I had come to see the alchemist Varian before this incident occurred. As I can see, no one is hurt and the only a small amount of damage has occurred. Varian's own workshop is the only building that has been completely destroyed, but the surrounding debris can be cleaned up and a new building can be gradually built over time." The townspeople quietly agreed with her observation. Rapunzel continued her speech. "I will ask my father to send some soldiers to help clean up this section of the town. I am sure he will be happy to help as best he can."

"Thank you princess for your advice, but we should be discussing what to do with the boy who caused this mess," said by an elderly man. "I will talk to Varian's father about this issue personally. He is just a young boy who made a few mistakes. We, as people of Corona, should be more kind and forgiving of each other. If that is all, I will come back with help as soon as possible," concluded Rapunzel.

The crowd quickly dispersed till only Rapunzel, Eugene, Cassandra, and Varian's father were left. "Thank you for your help, princess," Varian's father thanked. "No need for any thanks! It was my pleasure to help as best as I could," Rapunzel stated. The middle aged man looked weary and tired well beyond his years. "I am just not sure what to do with Varian anymore. Ever since his mother died, he's been obsessed with proving himself to the town with his alchemy. These accidents are getting worse and the village will only overlook his mistakes for so long. I am too busy to be watching his every movement."

Rapunzel carefully listened to the older man's concerns about his son when she abruptly got an idea on how to solve his issue. "I have an idea on how to help Varian. It seems to me that Varian just needs an older mentor who has the time to teach him to be more responsible." Eugene thought it was a great idea, but there was only one flaw in that plan. "That's a great idea Blondie, but who's going to have enough time to be that mentor?" he questioned.

Rapunzel gives him a devious looking smirk and said, "Why Eugene, you have plenty of time to spare. You could be Varian's mentor. He clearly admired you, which makes you the perfect candidate to guide him." Varian's father thought about the notion and stated, "I suppose this plan could work. We can try this idea for the next few months before making it permanent. Varian's summer break did start a few days ago."

Cassandra, knowing that Eugene will be annoyed with her commentary, added on to the plan, "Varian could stay with Eugene at the castle. He could visit you on the weekends if you would like. I assume Varian will need some time to pack, so Eugene could camp out in your village tonight. That way he could leave with Varian first thing in the morning without having to travel all the way back here. You two can even talk to Varian about this mentorship in more depth tonight."

Eugene gave Cassandra a sharp glare as he stood behind Rapunzel. The young princess smiled and said, "That's a great idea, Cass! Maximus can stay the night so the boys have a ride home. This will allow everyone to bond with each other as well." Varian's father thought it was a good suggestion and said, "Eugene can stay at our house for the night."

Eugene, knowing he cannot escape another one of Rapunzel's crazy ideas, halfheartedly agreed. "Okay, I can try to be a mentor for Varian. If I had a mentor when I was his age, I would have made less mistakes in my life."

Cassandra went to get her horse ready for the ride back home while Rapunzel said her goodbyes. She shook hands with Varian's father and said, "It was nice meeting you. I am sure we will see each other again one day. Some of my father's soldiers will either be here today or tomorrow to help clean up this mess." Varian's father responded, "May your ride home be safe," and walked away to start clearing Varian's demolished workshop.

Rapunzel and Eugene embraced each other one last time before parting. "Eugene, when you get home tomorrow, we need to talk. I'll tell you everything I know about my hair then, okay?" whispered the golden haired princess. The young man kindly smiled and said, "Whatever you say, Blondie." The two gently untangled themselves from each other's arms and bid farewell for the day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note: Hi Readers! Thank you those of you who read my story! I appreciate the two reviews from Nightingale1692 and a Guest. I forgot to mention Varian's dad's names in the first chapter, but I did now. I am pretty sure it is Quirin. There will be talk about spanking in this chapter. I will always warn people when these kinds of things are mentioned in the beginning of the chapter. I do not know how often I will be able to post a chapter, but I will try once every week. Enjoy!**

Chapter 2

After the two girls left, Eugene decided to help clean up Varian's . . . old workshop. The whole building was reduced to scraps of metal and wood. The only other person clearing the debris from this area was Varian's father, Quirin. Eugene quietly started helping as well. The two worked in peaceful silence.

Eugene had yet the understand the older man. The man seemed to care a lot for his son, but seemed to not understand him as an alchemist. Clearing his wife's death impacted the small family more then they may want to admit. _'Varian and his father need some time apart from each other. That may allow them to think about their issues in more depth before trying to resolve them. Maybe this mentorship program will help them both,'_ though Eugene. The two men continued to clear the wreckage.

Elsewhere in the village, Varian decided to stop sulking to finish an important task. He used one of the entrances to the underground caverns. He was lucky his other machines did not blow up along with his first one. Originally, his plan was to link all four of the engines so they can work together at the same pace. Luckily, Varian had not connected his contraptions. Otherwise, all of the machineries would of detonated, taking the town down with it.

One by one, Varian slowly visited each of his makeshift labs hidden under the town. He shut down each tank's power source. He secured every drop of his unsteady compound their special containers. He locked most of the exits to make sure no one else can come in. Varian knew he was a big trouble, so he cannot risk visiting his alternate workshops for a while.

He even visited his ruined machine. The machine was reduced to scraps of iron and steel. The whole area was in ruins and looked unstable. Quietly, Varian covered up the entrance to his demolished work studio. Luckily, part of the exit hatch survived. He knew there were people working on cleaning up the mess because he could hear sound above him. He was able to quickly cover up some of the mess before he made his escape. He went to the underground exit near his home.

At his house, the young boy went up to his room and set down the flasks filled with the special chemical on his desk. Varian knew he should dispose the dangerous liquid before it hurts more people, but could not bring himself to destroy it. He worked on the chemical for weeks before he got it right. He convinced himself that he can fix his creation in time.

Suddenly, the high pitched squeak of the old door knob downstairs alerted Varian of his father's arrival home. The young boy quickly hid the four bottles in his closet without making a sound. He could hear his father's deep voice conversing with a younger voice. The second voice was slightly familiar, but Varian could not place the voice with a face. He then remembered what his father told him the last time the town was damaged in his project. _"Varian, if this happens again, then I will have no choice left. I will have to not allow you to pursue alchemy till you are of age."_ His father's words echoed through his mind, as the young lad awaited his doom.

Eugene and Quirin finished clearing up most of the rubble from the small clearing. The soldiers will clean up the rest in the morning. They did not find anything of importance from the remains, except for a few things. They found all of Varian's collection of all thing Flynn Rider in mostly one piece. Eugene had a hard time explained why his face was on a wanted poster in Varian's stuff. Luckily, Quirin believe his small explanation and let it go for the time being. The contraption Rapunzel was strapped in was completely gone. The results printing machine was also damaged. The report of the magic hair was ripped to shreds in the explosion. The two heard some strange sounds, but they both blamed them on animals.

Quirin now lead the young man to his house on the outskirts of the village. "Since you are going to be responsible for my son for the next few months, you should know I expect you to correct him when he gets in trouble," Quirin said, as the two slowly walked on a quiet pathway. "Correct him? How much trouble can the teen get into?" Eugene laughed off. "Varian still a young boy. He will get into situations where he will need help getting out of. He will think you are not serious when it comes to disciplining him," Quirin continues, "You will need to be strict otherwise he will repeat his mistakes."

Eugene thought to himself for a moment before he asked, "If I may ask, how do you expect me to punish him? I have never been in this kind of situation before." Varian's father answered, "The same way my father punished me, by giving him a sound spanking." Eugene's eyes widened slight as he responded, "Wait! You spank him? But, that's so . . . outdated. No one spanks their kids anymore!" Quirin responded, "On the contrary, most parents still spank their children in private. It isn't something people usually do in public anymore. Haven't you ever been spanked before?"

The young man softly answered, "I wasn't much trouble while I was at the orphanage." Quirin paused for a moment, before penetrating the awkward atmosphere. "Varian behaved better after a thorough paddling. I rarely need more than my hand to get through his thick skull, but for times like today, his mother's hairbrush is needed to impart an important lesson. Today, I will be spanking him for putting the town and himself in danger once more. This is the second time something like this has happened and it cannot happen again. This only way I be reassured this mistake will not be repeated again. Young boys learn best with a sore bottom."

Eugene then realized something as they continued their slow trek towards the outer limits of the town. "Wait just a moment! Your telling me all this because you expect me to spank Varian? But, I never even scolded a kid before," the young man worried.

Quirin reassured him, "Eugene, I only expect you to punish him when he needs it. If you let him get away with something once, then he will walk all over you. Tonight, I will spank him and I expect you to do the same when he steps out of line. It will be painful, but nothing permanent. Understand?"

"Yes, I think I do," Eugene responded. Now that reformed criminal understood the situation better, he realized it would be an awkward night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hey, guys and gals! I hope you liked what you have read so far. Sorry, I wasn't able to post a new chapter last week. I was really busy with my college classes for a while now. But, I will try to post a new chapter every week. That's not a promise, but a reassurance that I will not give up on this story. Again, there will be some talk about spanking. Just talk, nothing more. Yet. Enjoy!**

Chapter 3

The two men soon came upon a large clearing near the edge of the town. A small wooden house was placed in the center of the plot of land. The dwelling had quite a few scorch marks on the walls, but the building still seem to be standing strong. To the right of the house, there was a small outdoor forge with just a roof to cover it. Pieces of metal and random inventions lay in either nearby bushes or trees. To some people, this home may look chaotic, but to Eugene, it looked like a . . . real home.

Eugene lived in an orphanage for most of his life. After he took on the life of a criminal, he was always on the run. He never stayed in one place for long, lest he be caught. Even now, he only lived at the castle because Rapunzel was his girlfriend. When he first brought her to the castle, he was pardoned of all his crimes since _Flynn Rider_ was the criminal, not _Eugene Fitzherbert_.

He assumed the room he was given was only for the week of celebrations for Rapunzel's return. When he tried to find a place to stay, Rapunzel started to tear up because she thought he was leaving permanently. So, the Queen told Eugene he's welcome to stay forever. The King was a bit reluctant at that idea, but allowed it when he saw how happy his daughter was with Eugene staying. Though he had a stern conversation with Eugene about . . . personal space. Though Eugene had a place to stay, it wasn't going to be home till Rapunzel accepted his proposal.

Eugene was quite puzzled about how Varian can have such a cozy looking home and still have family problems. ' _Well, I can't exactly compare. I don't know much about having a family,'_ the young man thought to himself as he and Quirin took off their boots to cross the threshold. The older man offered the young adult a seat as he started a fire for dinner. While Quirin doing that, Eugene looked around the house from his seat at the dining table. Many random knickknacks littered the small household.

When Quirin started on making some kind of stew, Eugene got up to help. Contrary to what others may think, Eugene's actually a good cook. Years on the run forced him to learn how to cook his own food. Quirin, who's been widowed for a year now, was not that good of a cook. So, he allowed Eugene to be in charge of the recipe while he helped him with gathering the ingredients. The two worked together in synch with each other. Quickly, a pot of stew was cooking on the hearth along with a loaf of bread.

With dinner cooking, Quirin washed his hands as he talked, "I'm going to go talk to Varian while you wash up. I will first explain that situation he is in and how you are going to be responsible for him for the next few months. Then, I going to bring Varian down stairs for his punishment. While I spank him, I don't want you to interfere. You're going to be do'in the same thing to him in just a few weeks, so pay attention. Understand?"

Even though Eugene was unwilling about this whole situation, he knew it was important to respect how Quirin raised Varian. ' _Hmm, maybe I won't need to . . . punish him because he sees me as his idol,'_ he thought to himself. So, the young man replied, "I understand." Quirin nodded his head at him before going upstairs to his son's room, making a small pit stop along the way.

In Varian's room, the young boy was nervously pacing around his bed. When he realized his father was not going to his room straight way, he hide the vials of the unstable compound in a more guarded niche. He could hear the sounds of a chat going on downstairs, but was unable to understand any things because they wood floors muffled the resonances of the voices. So, all the young teen could do was anxiously wait for his impending fate to come.

Soon, the he could hear his father's heavy steps echo through the small hallway near the stairs. Varian didn't know to be relieved that he doesn't have to wait long to hear his verdict or to be worried about what was to come. Before long, he heard the dreaded knock on the door. Knowing how his father expects to be invited in, the young boy was able to croak out the words, "Come in."

Quirin soundlessly entered the room, eyes scrutinizing the living space before landing on a pair like his own. Varian looked a lot like his mother. He had her slightly tannish skin and soft facial features. The only difference were his grey-blue eyes and raven black hair. A few streaks of greys and browns colored his hair like it did his mother's auburn locks. Quirin hated to do this to his son, but he promised his wife that he will always protect Varian, even from himself.

Varian's father sat next to him and pulled him into a hug. He softly whispered, "I almost lost you today." Varian's guilt rose even more after hearing his father's words. He pulled away from his father's tight hold and pleaded, "Please Dad! Don't take away my alchemy! I promise I won't do anything like this ever again! Just don't take away my alchemy!" Varian's eyes started to tear up at even the thought of giving up his life's ambition.

Quirin gently pulled him close as he started to reassure his only son. "Varian, I will not be taking away your alchemy. Instead, you be spending the summer with a mentor to guide you. You know how busy I am at the forge. The blacksmithery will be even busier now because of the damages to the town. I can't spend every moment looking over your shoulder. I don't want to send you away, but it is your only option other than giving up alchemy. Do you understand, son?"

Varian was thankful that he did not have to give up his scientific activities, but he was also uneasy about leaving the village. He's never left the village before, so he was apprehensive about going to live with another person. Nonetheless, he had no other choice left. He had to do this unless he wanted to stay grounded all summer and lose permission to do alchemy for at least four more years. ' _Besides, how bad could this summer be with a mentor? It's only one summer"_ Varian thought to himself. He finally came out of his thoughts and said, "I understand. I chose to have a mentor for the summer."

Quirin gave his son one last smile before grimacing, knowing what he had to do next. "Good choice, son. Now, let's get on with your punishment." Varian's father got up and started to lead a worried Varian downstairs. "Wait, Dad! Who's going to be my mentor?" the adolescent asked as he tried to stall his punishment. Quirin, not deterred for even a moment, merely replied, "Eugene Fitzherbert is going to be your mentor. You might know him as Flynn Rider." He then continued to escort the now stunned boy towards his imminent sentence.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Thank for all the views, reviews, favorites, and followers! I never expected my first fanfiction to have this many views. I have had almost close to 900 views since I posted his story. I have been reading fanfiction for more than ten years, but I never got the time to write any of my own till now. I will continue to update the story as it continues. I'm just having a hard time writing about spanking because I have never been spanked, seen a spanking in person, or given one. I love the idea of being spanked, but know I might not experience that for a while. Therefore, it is hard to write about a bonding story with spanking as a non-sexual way of disciplining. While I am one the topic, there will be spanking in this chapter, so stop reading this chapter if you do not like that. I just want to say that I appreciate all the views and hope for your continued support as this story goes one. Thank you!**

Chapter 4

Downstairs, Eugene was lost in his thoughts as the father and son duo talked upstairs. _'Am I really the best choice to be this kid's mentor? I know Rapunzel is trying to help, but maybe someone else is more fitting to be a . . . mentor. Even Cassandra – ugh – better suited to mentor then me. I used to be a criminal for most of my life and I still am trying to stay away from those bad habits now. Can I really help this kid?'_ He was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts as he heard heavy footsteps coming down.

As the two continued down, Eugene took in the scene more clearly. Quirin had his hands on his son's shoulder, leading him into the room. His face had this strange look, a mix trying to be firm and gentle at the same time. Varian looked embarrassed and anxious, knowing what was to come.

Varian was so ashamed of himself. He got himself into this mess and now he was going to be punished for it in front of his idol. He will never be able to earn his new mentor's respect now. He probably thought he was a trouble making kid pretending to be something he's not. He's most likely going to return me home when this plan doesn't work. Then I will not be able to do alchemy for a long time. _'All this is happening just because I wanted to prove myself to the town! To my . . . dad.'_

Quirin let go of Varian and placed an armless wooden chair in the middle of the living room. He then crooked his finger at Varian and sternly called, "Come here, Varian." Slowly, the boy started to near his father and soon he was standing in front of him, his face cast downwards.

His father steadfastly said, "Son, look at me." The lad raised his eyes to meet his father's. "Varian, you are being punished for breaking some rules and endangering yourself and the town, correct?" The boy, his voice filled with guilt, responded back, "Yes." His father continued on, "When I first allowed you to pursue your interests in alchemy, you agreed to follow my rules, correct?" Quietly, Varian simply nodded his head. "The most important rules were to always run your experiment ideas by me before your start them and to always be safe. Today, you broke both of those rules and risked the town's safety. Do you have anything to say in yourself?" The boy simply shook his head, knowing his defense will not change anything coming to him.

With that, Quirin told hold of Varian by his elbow and pulled him over his lap. The lad found himself in a familiar position with his stomach facing down and his bottom facing up. Soon he felt his father pull down his breeches and bared his backside. Varian groaned in response and tucked his face away in the crook of his arms, awaiting the first blow.

Luckily or unluckily, he did not have to wait for long before his father lifted his powerful and delivered a powerful swat. Varian let out a cry, but his father continued laying down more smacks. The young lad continued to whimper and cry out as the pain in his bottom soon turned into a burning fire. Soon, he was writhing and squirming in a useless attempt to get away from his father's hand of steel.

"Varian, stop moving so much or else," Quirin warned him, but the boy was too busy to pay attention to his father's voice. In return, Quirin decided to speed things along since Varian was being so unruly. He pulled Varian forward a bit and lifted his right leg to make the young lad's sit spots an easy target for his hand.

Varian was thankful for the small pause in his chastisement until he felt himself being shifted. He immediately recognized the new position he was in and started to protest in return. "Dad! Please not there! I'll do better! I promise!" he cried out in distress.

Quirin sighed and said, "I'm sorry, son. Nevertheless, it must be done. I hope you are willing to keep that promise after your punishment is done." With that said, he continued on spanking, this time concentrating his aim at the young alchemist's sit spots and the tops of his thighs.

Varian's cries reached a new level in volume as he squirmed across his father's lap. His rebellious legs continued to kick up until they reached a dangerous intensity. His father finally decided to ask for reinforcements.

Eugene was so busy watching this punishment being carried out, he almost didn't hear Quirin call out for him. "Eugene, I need you to hold down Varian's legs for a while." The younger man was tense about helping out Quirin with his son's . . . spanking, but he decided before he put his own butt at risk.

Eugene went over to the two and held down Varian's struggling legs, allowing his father's hand to start again. He tried to ignore the fact he was helping someone get spanked and closed his eyes hoping to forget that detail. However, even his closed eyes could not shut out the cries of pain and the sounds of hand hitting skin.

Varian too busy crying to realize his father stopped his spanking once more. He was too deep into his sobbing to notice anything else but the burning inferno in his bottom. It wasn't till he felt rough hands hold his legs down that he realized something was happening. He did not have too much time to dwell on the fact before his small reprieve ended and his spanking started up again, this time on his still sensitive cheeks.

After a few more minutes of relentless spanking, Quirin finally decided to end the spanking with one final round. He stopped the spanking and pulled out something from his fur vest. He pulled out a heavy wooden hairbrush, large enough to cover each one of Varian's bright red cheeks in only two spanks. He tapped the wooden implement a few time on its intended target before speaking, "Varian, because this is the second time you put the town in danger with another foolhardy idea of yours, this calls for a harder punishment then just my hand.

Varian felt something tap his bottom and he turned around to see his father holding the dreaded hairbrush. It's only been used on him when he breaks the rules more than once or puts himself in danger. Even so, the young scientist clearly remembers it's sting and does not want to again.

"Dad, please not the hairbrush! I've learned my lesson! I'll do anything, just don't use the hairbrush," Varian pleaded, but his father ignored his protests and started to apply the tool to his backside.

Eugene was hoping for this disciplining to end soon, because he was starting to get uncomfortable in his crouched position holding down the boy's legs down. He had the perfect view to witness the ongoing spanking and he did not like to hear or see this punishment happen from such a close position.

Making sure to not leave any part untouched, Quirin used the hairbrush to cover Varian's entire bottom in one last cycle. After the last few spanks were applied to the sit spots and upper thighs, he finally stopped the long spanking. He placed the hairbrush the nearby dining table and signaled the ex-thief to let go of Varian's now limp legs. Eugene went back to his seat now that his job was done.

Varian was still sobbing from his long appointment with his father's hand and hairbrush. He did not even realize his spanking was even over until he felt his father's fingers rub small ovals on his sore backside. Soon, his cries quieted down to just sniffling. This was when Quirin lifted Varian up and held him carefully in his lap, taking great effort to make sure his pained bottom did not touch anything just yet. Quirin held Varian in his arms and quietly said, "Your punishment is over and you are forgiven now. The town might not forgive you for a while, but I have and that is all that matters. No more beating yourself over it like the last time, understand?" Varian simply nodded in response.

Before Eugene could ponder over the older man's words, Quirin got up with his son still in his arms. Varian held on to his father, wondering what was going on. The man walked over to where Eugene was sitting at the dining table and deposited the young boy into his arms. Surprised, the young adult awkwardly held Varian similar to how he saw Quirin held him a few minutes ago.

"Eugene, hold on to Varian for a bit while I finish making dinner," Quirin commanded before going to the kitchen without waiting for a response. Varian turn red as he realized his hero not only saw him getting spanked like a little brat, but he also held his legs down and now he was being held by him. _'Great! Now he'll think I'm a big baby!"_ the lad thought to himself. Eugene was panicking as he thought, _'I'm never going to be able to be a good mentor if I can't even comfort him while holding him.'_

The two sat in silence a few more minutes as Quirin continued to prepare dinner in the kitchen. He hoped his plan for Eugene and Varian to bond will work or else this mentorship idea might not work out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note : Hey, everyone! Thanks for all your support! I know I've been busy lately, so I hope this chapter will make up for my long delay. I've been busy with college and family things for a while now. I've also been having trouble with finding time to write this chapter at my college computer lab. But, I just got a new laptop a few days ago, so now I'll be quicker at updating this fic. I never expected to have so many for this story. Imagine my surprise to see 2,586 views after not logging in a few months. Thank you for all the support and reviews I've received lately. I'll like to thank BellaEllaWriter, adventure prince, Introvertingeverywhere, spnfanfromeurope, and two guest for the reviews after chapter 2. I forgot to thank you some of you for your reviews since chapter 2. I'll also like to thank all of my followers for your support as well. You guys all give me strength to continue to write, Thank you! Now, Eugene might seem a bit OC in this chapter and I'll be making him a backstory as I go along. I've also been posting this story on my Deviant Art account as well. I'm known as DizziePie38. I'll also be posting this whole fanfic on my Archieve of Our Own as well. My profile is the same as this one, BlackRoseAki. You can use whatever is more convenient for you! Hope you all like! Enjoy!**

Chapter 5

Eugene was confused. He didn't know what to do. He's never dealt with kids before. ' _No, that's a lie,'_ he berated himself. He distinctly remembers helping out the caregivers at his orphanage with some of the younger kids. But, even then, he only did that for his own benefit. The old lady in charge had many books left over from her own days of being a parent, but she never let anyone borrow "The Tales of Flynnigan Rider" collection unless she really trusted them. Apparently, those books were the only symbols left of her sons who rarely visited.

The only reason he was even interested in the book series was because the elder women read it all the kids every night. Apparently, she only kept the first few books in the her room and the others were in some hard to reach place for an old lady like herself. The tales of the daring and dashing thief soon found a place in Eugene's heart. But, eventually the same old tales bored him and he wanted to read the others.

Though he could've spent his time differently, he decided help the time worn women around the orphanage. He did extra chores around the children's home. He helped the younger kids with their homework. He even took care of the really small babies, though he left the diaper changing part to the matron. Every minute of his spare time was spent helping this lady in charge.

In his head, he was helping her for his own gain, but he knew in his heart, he was helping her because he wanted to please the only motherly figure he had in his sad life. Eventually his hard work paid off in the end. He convinced the older lady to let him borrow the books so he can read them to the younger kids to keep them busy. The women realized she can trust this young boy who's been helping her do her duties, she let him.

Eugene was overjoyed to read more about his favorite hero and even spread his delight with the others kids. He would always read to all the kids sometime in the day. His mind was soon filled with such great ideas of becoming a thief just like his idol. But, he could never make himself leave the children's home because if he did, the old matron would not be able to handle all the children by herself.

But, eventually he did leave, but only to escape the memories of the old lady. She had gotten deathly ill and was eventually on her last breaths. Eugene was afraid of going to see the elderly women was she died, but when he was told she asked to see him one last, he could not refuse.

He approached the old women, lying motionless on the small bed. The room was dark and smelled like death. The women on the bed, motioned him to come closer and gave him one last hug. Her last words to him, to anyone, were, "You were like the son I never had. My real sons never returned to me to get their books, so I want you to have them. I know you'll share them with others." With those words said, her hand went limp in his hand and her old heart stopped beating. The old woman was gone and it felt like she took a part of Eugene away as well.

The next few days went by in a flash. He didn't remember any details of the next few days till the funeral. The children were only allowed to visit her grave on Sundays, but Eugene had other plans. The new matron in charge talked to Eugene a week after the death. The old lady's will stated she wants all her stuff to be donated to the orphanage, all except . . . her books. She wanted Eugene to have them and so he did.

After he received the books from the matron, Eugene put his plan into action. He spent the next day with his best friend, Arnwaldo, making sure he was as happy as an orphan can be. After a fun filled day, Eugene read the first Flynn Rider book to him till he finally nodded off to sleep. Making sure he was really asleep, he left him a note before taking his stuff and leaving the room. He felt some guilt for leaving one of his only friends, but then he reminded himself that Arnwaldo had a better chance of being adopted than Eugene. When Eugene was out of the orphanage, he looked back one last time and said, "Goodbye." Eugene Fitzherbert left his first home that day and never came back.

' _If I can be a good friend to Arnwaldo, I can try to be a friend to Varian,'_ Eugene told himself as he looked down at the young teen in his lap.

"So, Varian, I heard you're a fan of the Flynn Rider book series? Which books do you have?" asked Eugene, trying to start a conversation.

Varian looked up in surprise. He was so sure his new mentor would start to scold him for all the trouble he caused, not talk about books. ' _He's probably planning on lecturing me on the way to his home tomorrow,"_ the young boy thought to himself.

Shyly, Varian answered back, "I used to have the latest three books, but they . . . probably got destroyed along with my lab." Another dark reminder of his unforgivable mistake today. He expected his teacher to tell him he deserved to have his prized possessions burned, but he did not expect him to fiercely hug him.

Eugene did know if he was hugging the kid to comfort him or himself, but all he knew was that if he found out his Flynn Rider book collection was somehow destroyed, he would feel upset as well. The kid just lost his lab because he made one little mistake while trying to help his village.

"Varian, you've been punished for what happened today, so no need to dwell on the past. Okay?" Eugene asked in a tender voice. Varian simply nodded his head in response and leaned against the older man, tired from the day's events.

"By the way, your books survived the collection, along with some other things," Eugene told the young teen. The kid looked up, his eyes glowing with hope, and asked, "Really!"

"Yup! And I have the whole collection at the Castle. You can leave your books here to keep them safe and read the ones I have, if you want?" offered Eugene. He's never shared his book collection with anyone except Arnwaldo and recently, Rapunzel. But, he was willing to trust Varian with his special books.

"Really! I never even read the first and fifth book! The traveling library only had the second and third books. And I borrowed the forth from a friend!" exclaimed Varian. Eugene felt relieved that he was getting along with his new student so well.

"I got the whole series from a friend when I was around your age. She shared those stories with me just like I am going to share them with you. That's what friends do,"Eugene responded.

Varian didn't know how to respond. He's never had a real friend before. All his life, he's been ridiculed and bullied. At first, it was about his small size compared to the other boys. Then it was about being the only boy in town who doesn't have a mother. Recently, it's been about him wanting to be an alchemist. ' _No one's ever offered to be his friend before, not that he deserves to be the friend of anyone,'_ Varian thought to himself.

"I don't deserve to have a friend. I'll just cause you more trouble if you become friends with me. You're better off without—" Varian's words were suddenly cut off as he was suddenly embraced.

"NO! Varian, I haven't had many friends in my life, so I cherish the ones I have now," explained Eugene, "I understand how you might feel like you are useless right now, but you're not. I felt like that as well when I was your age."

Eugene pulled himself away from the young boy, turning his head toward himself, and said, "Things may seem hard right now, but they will get better. Believe me, I didn't expect to be where I am today either, but now I am in a better place than where I was before. Just know I'm here for you, okay?"

His dark brown eyes met Varian's grayish blue ones. He could tell from Eugene's eyes and voice that he was telling the truth, but he couldn't bring himself to believe his words yet. ' _He'll realize soon enough that I only bring others misfortune. Maybe the princess is right. I am a wizard, a wizard born with a curse,'_ he thought to himself.

Varian could only nod in response before he in another hug. ' _I don't know if he's telling me the truth or not, but I don't mind him being my mentor if I get hugs like this.'_

"Varian, as much as I don't want to ruin the moment we're having, I want to warn you. I don't like hearing you talk about yourself the way you just were. If I hear you degrading yourself like that again, I will spank you. Your father gave me permission to do, even though I would prefer not to. But, I will if I need to, understand?" the older man explained sternly.

Varian was surprised to know his father would do such a thing. ' _That's weird. He's never let anyone else spank me before, even when I deserved it. He never even let the school teacher spank me. Though, Flynn's just bluffing about spanking me to look good in front of dad,"_ he thought to himself, but still nodded to Eugene.

"Good. We can talk about some rules on our trip tomorrow," Eugene continued, "For now, let's talk about something else. Have you ever heard of the time I broke into the impenetrable castle of Equis!"

Varian inwardly groaned as he thought about the long ride the next day. ' _Maybe I can walk instead,"_ he mused, before cheering up as Eugene started his tale.

Eugene wasn't sure what he was going, but he was sure of one thing. He was capable of being a good friend and helper at the orphanage, so he can help Varian by being his friend as well.

' _Well, it's not like the kid's got any more of that Flynnoelum to experiment with anymore! How much trouble could he get into without powerful and unstable liquids! I bet he'll be so well behaved, that I'll never even need to spank him!"_ Eugene thought to himself, as he continued to tell his tale.

Quirin discreetly watched from his place in the kitchen. He took more time than necessary to prepare dinner, but he knew this arrangement would never work out if Varian and Eugene did not connect with each other. Eugene might not realize it, but he has something special about him that just made Quirin know that his son will be safe with him. ' _Yes, this mentoring idea might help Varian and even Eugene in ways they both might not expect. That is something I'm sure of,'_ the old man thought to himself as he finished making dinner.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Hey, everyone! You're probably surprised to see that I have updated his fanfic so soon after the last update came months later. Well, I have gotten a surplus of new energy and inspiration to continue to update his fanfic as fast as I can. I would of posted his chapter last night, if I hadn't fell asleep before I was finished writing. Today's been a bit busy for me, but I was determined to post this chapter. Can you believe I barely watched the episode, 'Queen for a Day,' yesterday! I can't believe what's going on with Varian. I hope Varian is pulled back from the path of evil soon enough, because he's only fourteen and doesn't need to throw away his few friendships before he realized what he's truly giving up. I love Varian like the cute little brother character he is. Back on topic, I would like to thank Introvertingeverywhere for leaving a review. I hope to have more reviews as this fanfic progresses. Thank you all for the support you have given me and this fanfic would not of existed with you all . . . and Varian of course! BTW: I don't own this show, it's characters, or Varian. . . though I would love to own Varian!**

Chapter 6

After a quiet dinner, Quirin sent Varian to pack up his stuff for his trip the next morning. While he was doing that, his father decided to take this moment to have a talk with Eugene. Before the younger man could say a word, Quirin handed him a small wooden box.

"Eugene, I wasn't sure if the Princess's idea would work or not," he started, "But after what I've seen tonight, I'm at least sure you'll take good care of my son."

"I was only trying to be a friend to him," Eugene protested modestly.

"Even so, you offered my son much more than just friendship and I thank you for it," Quirin continued, "But, if we want this mentorship to be successful, you will need to firm with him. I hope this will help you as much as it helped me."

He indicated Eugene to open the ornate box and inside lay the same hairbrush that Varian was spanked with today. It's dark ebony wood shined in the light of hearth's flames. The large oval brush looked powerful and menacing as it lay in its velvet lined case. It had already been shown to very effective in chastising wayward boys earlier this evening.

"With all due respect, sir," objected Eugene, "I've already decided to span–punish Varian when needed, but I'm sure all I'll need is my hand."

"I understand how you feel, son," the older man replied, "But, there will come a time where your hand will not be enough."

Eugene's heart swelled and fell in one swoop when Quirin called him 'son', but strictly told himself, ' _No, Eugene! It's just a friendly term people use all the time. No need to get too attached now.I'll never be someone's . . . son.'_

"Nonetheless," the old blacksmith continued, "I would like you to at least take this with you. Even if it will not get any use, Varian has been known to behave when warned about it. Keep it somewhere public, where anyone might see it, but only you and he will know it's true meaning."

' _Not a bad idea. It's not like I'll ever actually need to use it,"_ Eugene thought to himself as held the heavy hairbrush in his hand.

"Alright. It wouldn't be a bad idea to take this along, not that I ever need to use it," the ex-con accepted as he replaced the wooden brush back in it's small holding place.

"Now, let's get find you a place to sleep," Quirin explained as he led Eugene through the house.

While Quirin and Eugene had their small talk, a certain teen was packing his stuff up. Varian worked fast, since time was of essence. Sooner or later, his father's going to come up and 'advise' to go to bed. But, before he can get some sleep, he needs to pack his chemicals up without his father finding out.

He placed most of his potions and mixtures in his small wooden chest. His less important equipment, such as the measuring tools and empty flasks, were hidden under his clothes in one of his saddle bags. Both saddle bags were filled to the brim, so Varian closed them up, placing them near the door along with his chest. He went hunting through his closet, looking for all his work smocks, gloves, and boots.

Finally, Varian carefully took out the four vials of Flynnoelum from his closet. He wrapped each container with some of his clothes before hiding them in some of the pockets in his satchel. He made sure the caps of each one were secure, lest they have a spill on the way to the heart of Corona.

The only item left unpacked was his only pair of goggles that were almost always on his head. Varian still remembers the time when his mother gifted them to him. No matter what anyone else says, Varian's wearing those goggles wherever he goes. It's one of the last things he has left of his mother. Not even a minute after he took them off, his father came in.

"I see you're all packed to go," Quirin commented as Varian changed into a nightshirt, hidden behind his closet's open doors.

"Yup, luckily I found some spare saddle bags in the storage closet," Varian said as he closed his closet.

Quirin sat down on his son's bed and patted the seat next to him. The young boy winced as he sat down on his sore bottom. When his father pulled him into a hug, Varian leaned his head on his father's chest.

"Varian, you do understand I'm not sending you away because of the town, right?" the old man questioned his son.

"Yeah, dad. I know," replied Varian even as he thought, ' _Yeah, because you're sending me away because you don't want me, let alone the town of Old Corona.'_

"Good, because I will miss you while you're gone. We'll arrange for you to visit after you get settled in, okay."

Varian was too tired to say another word, so he simply nodded his head in response. Quirin chuckled as he held his sleepy-eyed little boy.

"Let's get you to bed, son."

As before the boy was fully tucked into bed, he was already asleep, on his stomach of course. The day's events had finally caught up to him. His father sadly gazed at his slumbering son, wondering if things would have been different if his wife was here to raise Varian as well.

The next morning came too soon for comfort. Varian was planning on sleeping in as long as his father would allow. That plan went out the window as soon as he turned over in his sleep. The fire in his bottom relit the blaze, causing Varian to wake up with a yelp. He groaned once he realized he had to sit on a saddle for the long ride to the Capital. He quickly got out bed, deciding that it was no use trying to sleep any longer.

He washed up before wearing his new green shirt and brown britches. He forgo wearing his gloves and apron, since the day was going to be hot. After getting dressed, he went downstairs to eat breakfast.

He was surprised to see both his father and his new mentor working together in the kitchen. He awkwardly stood in the living room, wondering what can he do to help when Eugene called out to him.

"Morning, Varian! Hey, can you set the table while your father and I finish up making breakfast?" he asked cheerfully.

Varian nodded his head, smiling as he gathered up the dishes to set on the small table. Soon, all three were eating a warm breakfast of eggs, bacon, and buttered rolls. After they finished cleaning up, Eugene and Varian collected their things.

"Don't worry about getting your horse, Eugene. I informed the stable boy to bring early today while we were still in town yesterday," Quirin told Eugene as he came out the small downstairs guest room, with his small knapsack.

Both men went outside when they heard someone calling Quirin. The stable boy looked like he been ran over in a stamped. His hair looked like a bird's nest and his face was barely recognizable under all the dirt. Next him stood Maximus, who looked like he came from a top of the line spa, with his shiny white coat and flowing blonde mane, with a suspicious smirk.

"Boy, what happened to you?" Quirin questioned as the stable boy was catching his breath.

The young man dropped to his knees and started pleading, "Please, , sir! Please take him before he causes any more trouble!"

Quirin looked up in surprise as the stable boy continued with his begging, all while Maximus calmed stood next to Eugene. The young man grinned before he started to casually converse with the fair horse.

"Let me guess, you wouldn't stop fussing until you were thoroughly rubbed and combed down. Then you stole a few apples, which caused the other horses to agitated until they receive some as well, which might have caused an apple shortage. And then you left a horse rebellion in the making. Am I right?" he asked with a smug look.

Maximus neighed and stomped his feet a few times. Whatever message he was trying send was not understood by Quirin and the stableboy, although Eugene clearly understood since he was barely holding back his laughter. The old man sighed before sending the stable boy away. He went back inside to help Varian with his bags.

Varian was making sure he had everything he needed before he left. He had picked up his satchel and his small wooden chest when his father came in. Quirin silently picked up his son's remaining bags before the two went downstairs.

Outside, Eugene has fastened his light saddle bag to Max when the father-son duo came outside. After securing all the luggage, Eugene walked Max over by the path they would be taking to allow Quirin and Varian to talk for a moment.

Quirin looked at his son before saying their goodbyes.

"Varian, I know I'm not the best father at times, but I still want you to know I will always love you no matter what you do," the older man told his only son.

' _I want to believe dad so much, but I just can't. Who would want to love someone like me?"_ he reflected inwardly.

On the outside, he smiled and hugged his father. Despite doing so, he couldn't accept that his father still loves him after he put him through so much stress. All the same, he does love his father even if he might lie to him about doing the same.

"I love you as well, dad," the adolescent whispered back before the two broke their embrace.

They both approached Eugene and Maximus. Quirin insisted that Varian will sit in front of Eugene for his own safely. Embarrassed, Varian tried arguing about he was old enough to make his own choices, but stopped his tirade when he noticed his father starting to get a certain look on his face, the one where he ends up with a sore butt. He decided he'd rather not get another spanking before they left.

After saying their final goodbyes, the two set off on their journey. Quirin watched the duo leave until all he could see were two little specks on the

horizon. Quirin had a feeling that this the beginning of a new journey for both Eugene and Varian. And he had high hopes that Eugene can help Varian.

Now, all he needed to do was mend his own affairs while Varian's gone. ' _I only hope that Varian and I can get our own issues in control before we next_

 _meet,"_ Quirin hoped to himself.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Greetings, readers! I finally got the chance to update! Yah! My last final for this semester is tomorrow, so I'll try to be more efficient in getting chapters up faster. I'll like to thank moanafan and another guest for their reviews since I posted the latest chapter. Though I have to ask this one guest regarding the review written by a guest: What does it mean! I don't speak text or whatever this message, 'Look,kolkka kook,ok,pl,' is trying to say. I'm not a texter or a user of much social media, so I don't know what this says. But, I still appreciate getting a review, since I don't have many. By the way, we are almost up to 4,000 views! Only need a 100 more views and then we're there! Back to other topics, I started a deviantart group for Varian. It's called, 'VarianFanClub' and anyone is welcome to join this group. I'm the founder, though my user name is different (DizziePie38, don't ask why, it was a teenage mistake). I also started a tumblr for this group under the same name, VarianFanClub. Look it up and you'll find it. The tumblr is mainly under my control currently, though other members might be placed in charge of it in the future. Check it out if your interested. Oh yeah, hope you notice the moon!Varian references in here. I'm not sure if I believe in the theory, though I thought it would be funny to include it in here for some laughes. Also, I can't wait for the next episode! That's all for now, so hope you like this chapter while I start the next! Disclaimer: I do not own Varian or Tangled: The Series in any way whats so ever.**

Chapter 7

Varian knew their trip wouldn't be long, but it felt like it was taking forever on his sore bottom. It's only been an hour on the road so far and it would take at least another to reach the Capital. As he continued to squirm in his seat, Eugene felt bad for him. He was soundly spanked last night and was still expected to spend the next few hours sitting on a horse. This was a whole new level of being saddle sore.

 _'The Snuggly Duckling is not far from here, maybe Varian would be interested in visiting? He'll probably do anything to get out of this saddle,'_ Eugene considered as their journey continued.

"Hey, Varian! How would you like to meet some of my friends? They all hang out at a restaurant nearby?" he asked joyfully.

Varian was surprised that he had a choice in this matter. Before he was a outcast, the only choice he had with his so called 'friends' was the choice of being their friend. ' _Though even that choice was forgone once I was pointed out as being just because I was smart,'_ he thought to himself. It would be exciting to meet Flynn Rider's friends. He felt a little nervous with the thought of meeting new people, but at least he would be out this horrid saddle for a while.

"That'll be so awesome! Did they work with you when you used to be a thief, Flynn Rider?" Varian responded, becoming more eager by the minute.  
Eugene was trilled Varian was okay with the idea, until he was called Flynn Rider. 'I never got the chance to tell him who I really am,' the older man comprehended. In the events that happened yesterday, all thoughts of introductions were lost in the chaos and confusion.

"Um, no. I never worked with them before I met Rapunzel. They're not thugs and thieves any more. They still look like ruffians, but they not. By the way, Varian, I forget to introduce myself properly," the ex-thief started off as Maximus started to head towards the pub.  
Varian was confused. There was no need to introduce Flynn since his face used to be posted all over the kingdom. He was like the coolest guy ever, even a loner like himself knew that.

"Well, duh! I'd be dumb not knowing who Flynn Rider was, especially after you brought the lost princess home! Besides, I read the books about you!" Varian explained.

"Well, you're correct about most of that. Except, Flynn Rider is not my real name and I am not the same person from the books. I just used the name from the books when I was around your age," Eugene replied.

Varian was so shocked by this revelation, he turned around in his seat to look up at him. He has a flabbergasted look on his face. It took him a few moments before he could make himself speak again.

"What! Really! Does that mean you never did any of the things from the books?" the young boy questioned, his mind still reeling after finding out his hero from his books was not the same as the one in reality.

"Oh, no! I really did do some of that stuff. Most of the adventures from the book were based on real situations and ideas. I used most of those ideas when I was first starting out as a dashing swashbuckler," Eugene answered with a smirk.

Varian giggled as they arrived at the time worn pub. Eugene got off first, before taking the young teen off as well. Varian was mortified at that, but Eugene wasn't going to risk his father's wrath by letting the kid get hurt while getting off of Max.

"Hey, kid! Why don't you leave your bag with old Max here?" Eugene asked the teen, who was looking at the twisty old building in wonder.  
Varian was taken aback by the question and suddenly remember he was still wearing the satchel full of the Flynnoelum. He nervously laughed before answering back.

"No, thanks! I packed some of my research in here and it is too valuable to lose. I'd rather keep on me, so no one can take it, if that's okay?" he replied with an uneasy smile.

Eugene might have noticed the boy acting strange if he was paying attention. But, Maximus had just stepped on his foot for calling him old. So, he was in too much pain to note Varian's unusual behavior. Once he was sure his foot was no longer in pain, he finally responded to his question.

"Whatever floats your boat, kid! Now, let's go inside before Max here gets anymore smart ideas!" Eugene declared before getting away from the large stallion. Varian followed him, when he suddenly remembered something.

"Wait! If your real name is not Flynn Rider, what it!" he questioned one last time before they went in.

"It's Eugene Fitzherbert," Eugene responded nonchalantly, hoping his name doesn't change anything.

"Eugene, huh," Varian thought about the name for a moment before shrugging his shoulders, "Cool name."

"Wait! What! Aren't you going to laugh about how lame my real name is?" the older man asked, flabbergasted at the youth's reaction. When he was at the orphanage, everyone except Arwaldo made fun of his name. That's why rarely used his real name after he left the children's home.

"My great grandfather's name was Eugene. My dad used to tell me stories about him. Apparently, the name 'Eugene' is supposed to mean 'noble' or 'wellborn.' I wanted to be like him when I was younger," Varian explained, remembering the times when his father used to actually care for him, back when . . . mom was alive.

"Wow! So, I really do have a cool name. There must be only one reason I was named after something that means 'noble.' I must be . . . the lost prince of some far away kingdom," Eugene declared in a low voice.

Varian started at him in silence, until . . . he started cracking up. The older man started to chuckle as well. The youngster was laughing so hard, he almost fell to the ground. Luckily, Eugene caught him before he hit the ground. The boy didn't even care as he continued to laugh. Eventually his laughs became giggles and then chuckles. Once the two were calm enough, Eugene smiled at Varian before he pushed open the doors of the Snuggly Duckling.

Inside, all the dangerous looking men stopped to look at the two newcomers. They all stared at the two until a large man with a helmet covering his face approached them. Varian unconsciously cowered, making himself look smaller. Years of being bullied had left some habits to become instinctive reflexes.

The giant looking man stood in front of Eugene and . . . hugged him, lifting him up from the ground. Eugene started protesting while the other men in the pub started laughing. Varian looked on in shock at this new turn of events.

"Attila! Is there a reason your trying to suffocate me?!" Eugene questioned.

"Eugene, thank you for all you've done to help me!" the man named Attila thanked the ex-thief before letting him down.

"Help? What help? I didn't do anything to help you recently?"

"I know it was you who booked the newly vacant shop in town for me. I heard there was a vacancy and I went to check it out, when the previous owner told me someone already booked it for someone else. I was disappointed till I found out it was booked in my name," Attila explained.

"What makes you think it was me?"the younger man countered.

"Who else would be the princess's boyfriend if Corona only has one princess?" Attila responded, before he caught sight of Varian, who was trying to hide behind Eugene unsuccessfully.

"Hey, who the fella behind you?" the man asked, catching the attention of the other patriots of the Snuggly Duckling as well.

Eugene pushed Varian in front of him before introducing him.

"Might I introduce you all to my new pupil, Varian!" he exclaimed, waving his hands over Varian, like he casting a spell. The lad shrunk as all the men looked over him as if they were looking into his soul. The colossal man who was practically suffocation Eugene moments ago came to stand in front of him and . . . pulled him into a great bear hug.

The boy almost squeaked in fear when he lifted off the ground, but soon realized he was not in bodily pain. Though was feeling like all the air got knocked out of him.

"Any friend of Eugene's is a friend of mine!" the man declared wholeheartedly.

Varian was touched at the announcement, but that feeling was hard to keep as he felt lightheaded from the loss of oxygen.

"Woah! Attila, you should let the kid down! He's looking a bit blue there!" Eugene, distraught with worry, caught Varian when he was let down. The teen took some deep gulps of air, relieved to breath once more. Eugene rubbed his back, trying to console him.

"Oops! Sorry about that! Sometimes I forget my own strength," the tall man apologized guilty.

Varian was able to answer him back once he was able to breath properly. After a few minutes of silence, he was able to stand up on his own again. He looked at the man in front of him and felt bad for him. He was trying to make him feel more at home and accidentally hurt him without meaning to. Varian could understand the feeling, since he hurt others all time without even trying.

"It's okay! Everyone makes mistakes," he forgave the older man. Eugene smiled at the teen, proud of him being so understanding.

"Well, come on in and take a seat, you two!" a large man with a hook for his foot declared from where he was sitting at the counter.

Attila led the two over before getting behind the bar. He went to the back kitchen to get something while Eugene introduced Varian to everyone.

"This is Big Nose. He's a poet, so if you every need help wooing the girls with words, ask this guy for help!"

"Eugene!"

"This big guy is Vladimir! Don't be turned away by his looks, he a nice fella who likes to collect ceramic unicorns."

"Wow! That's interesting!"

"This is Ulf. He's doesn't talk much."

"Hmm. Is what is your face paint made of?"

"This is Hook Foot! He's Hook Hand's brother."

"The world famous pianist?!"

"This short guy right here is Shorty."

"Hey, are you related to the moon or something? 'Cause your aura is the opposite of Rapunzel's!"

Eventually, Varian met everyone in the pub one by one. He got along with almost everyone. He was able to talk about history with Big Nose. Vladimir was excited to show off his ceramic unicorn collection with him. He loved Ulf's pantomime show. Hook Foot told some funny tales of him and his brother. He humored Shorty, who believed he has some kind of moon powers and had magical hair as well. He even complimented Attila on his cupcakes.

When Varian started to tire, Attila offered to let him take a nap in the back room. The lad wanted to protest that he was too old for naps, but his fatigue got the better of him. So he accepted and left towards the room. Once he was out of the room, the other men started interrogating Eugene.

"Hey, what's a smart kid like that doing with you?" Attila questioned.

"Yeah, he seems too normal to be associated with you," commented Hook Foot.

"Did you kidnap him from his home?" Vladimir asked suspiciously.

"Are you and Rapunzel adopting kids, now?" Big Nose trying to get his question in.

"It's clear that the child of the moon is this man's son!" Shorty bluntly yelled out, swaying on his feet.

Eugene didn't get the chance to answer any question as he was bombarded with inquiries from every direction. He finally resorted to yelling out, "WAIT A MOMENT, GUYS!" to get everyone to let him have a chance to speak before they start spreading rumors through the kingdom. They whole room was silent, as they anxiously waited for the answers to their questions. Eugene took a deep breath before speaking.

"First of all, I can hang out with smart people, too you know. I'm not a genius, but I can appreciate an intelligent conversation every once in awhile," Eugene started off, before Hook Foot coughed something that strangely sounded like 'yeah right,' making the younger man glare at him.

"No, Big Nose. We are not adopting kids yet. We aren't even married yet! The King would have a heart attack if he heard about that!" he protested, holding his head at the thought. ' _I wonder if I close my eyes, I might wake up and find this all to be one big dream,'_ he thought to himself, but when he opened his eyes, nothing changed. ' _Darn it!.'_

"Shorty, he is not my son and nor is he the child of the moon! Where in Corona did you get that idea!" he cried out as he recalled the drunk's announcement.

"I don't know. It's just came to me in a colorful and crazy dream. I don't know about you, but I never have crazy dreams," the man stage whispered, through his voice was the opposite of a mouse's squeak. The ex-thief just ignored the man as he started dance around the room.

"Next question," Eugene reminded himself before recalling the question. "Wait a moment! What you mean 'too normal to be associated with me'!" he yelled at Hook Foot.

The hook footed man just shrugged his shoulders before saying, "It's just what it is. You not exactly an average guy since you used be a thief and now you're the princess's boyfriend. Anyone next to you looks normal, even alchemy kid."

Eugene accepting his answer, knowing the other man was not trying to be insulting or anything, continued, "No, Vladimir. I did not kidnap from his home, though his father allowed me to take him. He got into some trouble back home, so he has to spend the summer with me being a 'good mentor' to him. I just don't know why anyone would choose me to be a 'mentor.' Just look at my past! It's a list of reason to not give me a student, but Rapunzel had this great idea so the villagers don't run him out of town or something."

All them men look bewildered at the thought of the nice kid they just met causing any kind of trouble, so of course, they had to ask.

"So, what did the boy do to make his town go against him?" Attila asked.

"Oh you know, the usual," Eugene nonchalantly answered, " He accidentally exploded some underground tankers full of hot water that almost destroyed the town."

All the men were shocked at this new revelation, so Eugene tried to quickly reassure them that everything worked out in the end.

"Luckily, no one was hurt. Only Varian's lab was destroyed and Rapunzel was able to smooth the townsfolk by having some soldiers come by to help clean up. Thank goodness, Rapunzel and I were able to survive the building collapsing on us," he told, hoping to convince the crew.

Sadly, they got even more worried. So, Eugene spent the next half hour explaining to the thugs why it wasn't a good idea for them to barge into the castle uninvited to make sure Rapunzel was okay. They had finally agreed on having her visit them soon, when Varian walked in.

He was yawning and rubbing his eyes, still waking up from his short nap. He sat down next to Eugene, quickly awakened when he felt the lingering sting i his backside. He let out a small yelp, before looking around to make sure no one noticed.

Unnoticed by him, most of the pub thugs observed that small action and discreetly flashed Eugene some dirty looks. The young man was wondering why the atmosphere suddenly turned dark with the constant frowns sent this way. Varian was starting to notice and the last Eugene needed was the kid to think his friends were glowering at him. So, he casually told Varian that he should go outside and feed Max a few apples from the surrounding trees. Once he was out of the building, the man bluntly openly asked the room, "Okay! What's going on? What did I do this time to get all those dark looks thrown my way?"

"Don't act like you don't know?" Vladimir retorted. "We all saw the way the kid jumped up in pain when he sat down!"

"Yeah! What did he ever do to you to get beat like that?" Hook Foot carried on.

Eugene all looked at them, puzzled about what they were all talking about, when it came to him. ' _As much as I'm happy to see them be protective of Varian, I don't want to be known as the child abuser either!'_ he deliberated.

"Uh, guys . . . the kid wasn't beaten, he was just spanked by his dad," Eugene explained. "I mean, what't you expect? The kid basically blew up the building he was in and almost destroyed the town. He almost killed himself and many other people, me included. I didn't expect his dad to . . . spank him, but he did and that's that!"

The other men visibly relaxed once they were reassured the kid wasn't beaten blue and black.

"Sorry, for doubting you Eugene, but we couldn't take the chance of letting this issue go," Attila clarified.

"Yeah, we might have been thieves and thugs our whole lives, but even we don't like people who break the bones of younglings," Vladimir said.

"But, we understand spanking is okay as long the kid isn't bleeding or bruised," Big Nose commented.

"Even I was spanked by my brother growing up. Without him keeping me in line, I would have been robbing old ladies and pregnant women today if it weren't for him," Hook Foot remarked.

"Thanks for understanding, guys. But, can you please keep this topic private? I don't want Varian to find out you guys know about . . . his punishment. He'll be too embarrassed to want to come back the next time I'll be visiting."

He got various replies of yeses, before he turned his head towards the short bearded man lying on the ground.

"Um, Shorty. You know what not to say around the 'moon child'?" Eugene cautiously asked.

"Yup, you don't want moon!Varian to know we know he's magical!" he answered back with a loopy smile.

"Ahhaa, sure," the young man lied. ' _As long as he doesn't say anything about him being spanked, we're good.'_

When Varian came back inside, Eugene finally decided it was time for them to leave. After having a round of goodbyes, the who left. The young alchemist was excited to come back for another visit soon.

' _Maybe, I'm not so different from those guys. If they were able to carry out their dreams despite their deadly looks, then maybe I can make my Dad proud of me despite my bad luck and clumsiness!'_ he thought to himself happily.

At the same time, Eugene was having a similar thought. ' _Maybe this mentorship idea will work after all. He's a good kid who just needs some guidance. He's already gotten all the pub thugs under his spell. Now, I just hope the King's okay with this arrangement.'_

The two continued to talk to each other as their journey continued. Their worries and pain, for one, were soon forgotten as they converse about everything in general. Before long, the two would be at the Castle, where another chapter of their lives will begin. Currently, both of them had high hopes for making this plan work. As the two advanced on the pathway before them, the sun continued to rise across the sky, casting it's rays on the duo. It was almost as if it was trying to protect them from a haunting truth that would be known one day.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: I'm back! I was finally able to update! Every moment I get, I go to my room to write. But, as always, my little sister comes in and instead, we watch Blue Blood. Now, that my college has started again, I spend at least four hours a day twice a week in the computer lab. Most of that time is spent writing the next chapter instead of doing homework like I should. But, sometimes I get distracted reading fanfiction instead, though I try not. I appreciate the few reviews I've been getting from you all! I appreciated them! It keeps me going forward! Can't wait to read more of your reviews! Thanks for the support. Hope you like this chapter.

Wolfgem103: Thank for the review and asking questions. I would love to answer fanfic will follow the shows mainly, through their will be filler chapters. He will become a villain again, though he will be considered more of a misunderstood and emotionally teenager. Though I promise you, he will recover. He will get the raccoon, Rudiger, soon. I'm not sure how or when the moon theory will come in to the fanfic, though it might eventually. It depends on how willing I will be to following the series.

Moanafan: I loved writing that part!

Guest: I can't wait to post the next update!

Troy: His first spanking will be within the next two chapters if it goes as planned. I thought it would be better to explain the rules in his room in the next chapter.

Chapter 8

The sun was high in the sky by the time the pair reached the capital. The radiant castle sparkled, enchanting all those saw it, including a young alchemist, as he saw the magnificent city for the first time in years. As they ventured deeper into the city, he wondered where he was going to stay. His visit had been planned on short notice, so his new mentor probably hadn't had a chance to arrange a place for him to stay. _'I mean, I wouldn't expect to have a free room available for just any random kid if I were him!_ ' Varian thought. _'It'll be fine. I don't need much space and I can find a place to do my experiments later. Don't want to be too much of a burden. He'll realize soon enough that I'm just not a normal person to live with.'_

At the same time, Eugene was deliberating about the same question. The only reason he was living in the castle was that Rapunzel told her parents that if Eugene wasn't welcome in her new home, then she wasn't either. So, of course, her parents, mainly the King, gave in and gave Eugene a room. Though it was quite a distance away from Rapunzel, it was still more than anyone had ever given him before and for that he was thankful.

 _'Nevertheless, he had to find a new place to stay. The King and Queen were nice enough to allow me to stay in their home, they weren't expecting a teenage alchemist to be invited in as well — and my room is exactly big enough for two,'_ the young man thought to himself. _'As much as Blondie will be upset about me moving out, she'll understand. I mean, it's not like we'll be moving out of Corona, just a few streets down at the most. Varian and I can stay in my room until I can find us a place to live. We can survive a few days in close quarters.'_

Before the two knew it, they had reached the golden gates that lead to the palace. The guards opened the gates to give them access when they recognized the older rider and the majestic steed he was on. Varian gazed at everything, trying to take it all in without fainting in excitement. It was only the heavyweight by his side that kept him grounded. He knew now was the time to be alert. If his chemicals were discovered before he could stow them away, he would be in big trouble, especially if they react to something. Maximus stopped in front of the stables, allowing Eugene and Varian dismount. Before Eugene could unload his apprentice's luggage, the young boy started talking in a rush.

"I hope I'm not going to be in your way. If you don't have any room for me, I just need a place to sleep. No need to go out of your way to clear some room for me. By the way, what are doing here at the castle? I mean, not that I'm not impressed and excited at being here, which I am, why are we here? Oh, I know! We're here to see your girlfriend since she lives here because she is the princess. Of course! Hey, is her friend here as well. What was her name—? Oh yeah! Cassandra! Wow, that is a pretty name, especially because it is for a beautiful lady. Do you think she'll like me? I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't, after almost killing her when all she was doing was trying to save me. I wouldn't like me either if I were here," the young boy chattered on endlessly.

Eugene was barely able to keep up with the teen's questions. He was vaguely surprised and even a bit confused at why Varian would ask those questions. He was expecting to live in a closet or something from the way he was talking. Asking about why they were at the castle was anticipated, so he was pleased to find out the boy was eager to be here. Though the sudden infatuation with Cassandra was a newly discovered aspect. When the small alchemist started talking about not liking himself, he knew he had to put a stop to these questions and try to find out if there was an underlying issue here.

"Whoa, kid! Take a sec to breathe, alright?" the older man encouraged the boy whose nonstop talking had come to an end.

"I'll answer all your questions now, though you should take the time to listen to my answers before you start responding to them. Okay?" he asked the out of breath youth, who nodded in return.

"Okay, first, we're here at the castle because I live here. I know, I know, you're wondering how an ex-thief like me was able to find his way into the castle. Well, the answer to that is because I fell in love with the princess and she promised her parents that she would leave if I was not allowed to live here. We'll be moving somewhere nearby because my small room will not be enough for the both of us, though we might have to stay here for a few days. Yes, we'll be seeing Rapunzel and her maid in waiting, Cassandra. She'll like you for sure since you are nothing like me. Is there any reason why you would think no one would like you?" Eugene asked cautiously after answering all the questions that had been aimed at him, wondering if he was overthinking this.

"No, it's just that..." Varian started off nervously, "...I almost killed her, the princess, and you yesterday. I felt so alone before yesterday. Now, you guys are suddenly accepting me in your lives is just so much to get my head around."

"I understand exactly how you feel. When Rapunzel found her way into my heart, I was really surprised as well. I was expecting her to wake up one day and realize I'm not the one for her because of my past. Instead, she gave me a home and in a way, a family as well. She convinced her parents, some of the guards, and most of Corona that I am a changed man. It was so unbelievable, that I was just expecting to find myself waking up one morning and finding out the last few months were only a dream — so, in some ways, I know exactly how you feel. We've both made mistakes in life and felt alone at some point in life. The only way we can get over that is to let others help save you. We don't have to be alone because there are many people willing to be our friends, including myself. I want to be your friend, though I understand it can take some time to get to that point. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" he explained himself to the boy so similar to himself.

Varian wanted to believe in him, but after so many years of feeling alone, he couldn't trust anyone enough to believe in. _'Dad used to be someone I could believe in. Now that he's realized I'm not worth saving, he's much better off. Eugene will realize the truth one day, so it's better for me to not get too attached before he wants to get rid of me.'_

"I understand," Varian responded, trying to look as if he actually meant those words.

Eugene was relieved to find out his worries were for naught. Banishing those doubts away, he led the teen towards the main entrance. The man nodded at the guards, who moved aside to let him pass through. Inside the palace, the ex-con started towards the princess's room, with the dazed alchemist dawdling after him.

Eugene had barely knocked on the door when it was suddenly slammed open by one excited looking princess. He practically knocked off his feet when she pounced on him with one of her trademark bear hugs, or in this case, princess hugs.

"It's nice to see you too, Blondie," he was able to squeeze out as he gasped for breath.

"Eugene, you back! Oh, I have so much to tell you!" the golden-haired girl exclaimed, "Oh my sunlight! You remembered to bring Varian!"

"What d'ya mean I 'remembered?!'"

Varian was the next recipient, or victim, of one her suffocating embraces. It was nice to get a hug every once in a while, but this was overdoing it. Once Eugene was able to pry Rapunzel off the lad, she led them to her balcony for some tea.

"So, where's Cassandra? It's not her like to leave you alone for a while, not that I mind," the young man questioned.

"Oh, she's just getting your guys' room ready. I don't trust any of the guards to be able to get it without supervision," she nonchalantly answered.

"Wait, what!?"

"I told my dad about the mentorship idea and how you graciously volunteered to be Varian's mentor. He thought it was a great idea and advised me that maybe I should have a bigger room ready for the two of you. I mean, he doesn't expect you two to share that tiny closet for the next few months," the green-eyed girl explained.

Eugene was practically speechless, so Varian voiced his appreciation first.

"I might not have known you for long, but thank for welcoming me into your home. Thank you, princess," he stated, trying to bow down when the older girl stopped him and hugged him instead.

"No need for any thanks. I wanted to do all this as your friend, which means you should call me by my first name. You don't have to bow to me either."

"Whatever you say, Princ—I mean Rapunzel," Varian corrected as he pulled away from her warm embrace.

"Rapunzel, I'm thankful for you doing all this for us. At least now I don't have to be worried about finding a new place to live," Eugene expressed as he held her hand lovingly. She smiled before frowning.

"Back up for a moment! You thought my dad wouldn't allow Varian to stay with you?!" the newly angered princess bellowed.

"Oh look at the time, come now Varian! Let's go check out our new room," her beau called out as he evacuated the room, making sure to grab his apprentice, to begin his hunt for their new residence in the vast building.

With a few directions from one of the maids, the duo was able to find their new dwelling. It was close to Rapunzel's room, so Eugene didn't mind the move as much, especially if it was large enough for both him and his student. The last few guards finished up rearranging the unfamiliar furniture before leaving. Stan handed over two keys to the elder while Pete introduced them both to the younger. Once those two departed as well, the taller man opened the door, letting them have their first glimpse into their new home.

The room was enormous compared to Eugene's earlier one. The front living room like area was decked out in interesting throws and rugs. The newly placed furniture was centered around a small wooden coffee table. Lacey curtains covered the large window behind the sitting area, surrounded by walls covered in amazing paintings of nature scenes. A small dining table was placed near an even smaller kitchen which only contained a small ice chest and a few food supplies. When further explored, the two found two well-designed chambers with their own murals depicted the owner of the lodging. Each space had a small, study like side room. The bedrooms themselves were stocked with cozy beds, wooden closets, small dressers, and one large window in each room.

Varian stared in awe as he looked at his new living space. The art that covered the walls were so beautiful that he could barely consider they were part of his room. He was shocked to find out the princess herself painted this art for a little guy like himself. He was already planning on turning his spare room into an alchemy lab, with his mentor's permission of course. As he started to unpack, he could scarcely believe this room was the beginning of a new part of his life.

Eugene couldn't remember ever living in a place this spacious before. When he first moved into the castle, he got the basic servant sized room. It has the necessities, like a bed and a closet. There was no need for a window or kitchen. He was thankful it had a fireplace for the cold nights. He couldn't expect the King to give him an extravagant suite close to his daughter's room, which is exactly why it was so stupefying to find out the King advised Rapunzel about arranging a new room for him and his student. Sometimes, it feels as if all the King wants to do is smite him for even being in his daughter's presence, let along be her suitor. And other times, he seems to be accepting of him being a former criminal and is thankful for the fact he saved his daughter from her kidnapper. _'Royalty is too confusing to understand,'_ he finally concludes.

After finding most of his stuff packed away in a trunk at the foot of his bed, Eugene started to unpack and rearrange his room. When he discovered the extra side room, the young man decided to turn it into a small study. He might not use it often, but after living on the streets, he's learned that it's easier to draw up plans for heists somewhere organized and clean rather than on the side of a dumpster. Even now, he might need a place to write letters to friends, if he had any legal friends. _'Besides, Varian would appreciate a place to write to his father,'_ he reassured himself as he hung some clothes.

By the time the two were finished settling in, it was late in the afternoon. Varian and Eugene were barely out of their rooms when a hard knock echoed across the suite. Eugene approached the door, while Varian pretended to be studying a unique looking vase when he was really paying attention to whoever was behind the door. Once the older man revealed who it was, the young alchemist was enthusiastic to know it was the lady guard who saved him.

"Cassandra! It's so great to see you! I know you most likely worked here because you were with the princess, but I didn't actually expect to see you so fast. Not that I didn't want to see you, but I assumed since you are a royal guard, you would too busy to talk to a small guy like myself. Though my dad always says I'm still growing, so I might yet be as tall and strong as him one day. Still, I know better than him that at fourteen years old, there's not much change of me growing any taller than this," Varian started rambling as he welcomed (more like dragged), the young lady to their new abode, with a wide-eyed Eugene trailing after them. The young boy started showing around the older women around the apartment while Eugene figured something out.

 _'Well, well, look what we got here! Varian seems to have a crush on Cassandra! It would be adorable if it were on anyone but her. Though, I can't wait to tease Cassandra over this,'_ he thought to himself. _'All the same, I have to tell her to let the kid down easy when it gets to that point. He's too young to be dating anyone older than him by more than two years! And I don't even think Cassandra will even be interested in dating him. It's better for her to deal with this early rather than late.'_

By this time, Varian and Cassandra had come back to the living room after his spontaneous tour. Even though the lady in waiting was the one who helped prepare the room, she was polite enough to let the adolescent show her around anyway.

"Varian, I want to be a royal guard as much as you want me too, but at the moment, my dad wants me to continue to be Rapunzel's lady in waiting — well not because he doesn't believe in me, but because he trusts me to keep the princess safe by being her friend rather than being her guard. That is why I don't want you to start a protest to let more women into the royal guard. But, thank you for the support anyway," the women was explaining.

"What are you guys talking about? Wait—! I don't want to know." Eugene did not want to know about that scenario so he can at least deny he had any knowledge of such an idea.

"Well, boys, I have to go now. I have some work to do. But, I came to tell you guys that the King and Queen would like you two to join them for dinner tonight."

"Are you sure? I'm not the King's favorite person to invite to dinner. If Rapunzel is forcing them to invite me, then I'm okay with eating dinner in the small dining room like always."

"Actually, it was the King's idea. He would also like a chance to meet Varian anyway. Be in the fancy dining room by 6, okay? See you boys later!" she called over her shoulder as she departed the room.

Varian was wondering why the royal family would want a lowly peasant like him to join them for dinner. But, he decided to ignore that question so he can concentrate on something better. Exploring the castle before dinner.

"Hey, Eugene! Is it okay if I can take a walk around the castle? I promise to be back at least an hour before it's time to eat," he asked, with his secret weapon, the puppy dog eyes.

"Sure! I gotta go talk to Rapunzel about something anyway. If you get lost, just ask a guard to help you back," Eugene answered back as he went out the door.

As soon as the older man had left, Varian went into his room and took out the flasks of Flynnoelum from his satchel. Earlier, he had found some old books left in the wooden closet. He dropped one while he was removing them and discovered one dusty old book was not a book at all. It was really a hollow box of some sort, disguised to seem like a book. After making this discovery, he fixed the old latch on the side of the large volume. He was planning on hiding the unstable compound in it later, but now that he had a chance, he decide it would be better than trying to do it undetected in the middle of the night. After placing all the vials in the tome, he locked it and hid it under his bed for now.

With that matter out the way, the teen left the suite, hoping Eugene would be back in time to unlock the door for him because he forgot to ask for a key. He brought some writing supplies in his satchel, knowing he might get a good idea for an experiment at any moment. Eventually, he found his way outside the palace and into the garden.

The garden was in full bloom, with all kinds of flowers decorating the sides of the pathway. There was a large vegetable garden off to the side and a fruit orchard across from it. Large trees shadowed Varian from the hot rays of the sun. The young boy, feeling at home with the nature, sat under a small apple tree and closed his eyes in peace. He could remember a similar time in his life when nature was something his family bonded over. A time when his mother would sing while he and his father would help her plant her favorite flowers, roses — but, like a rose, the thorns of reality tugged on his collar, _like something was really pulling on his clothes!_

With that sudden realization, Varian woke up, wondering if someone was really here or was it just a dream. He looked up at the sky and realized he should try to find the suite before it's too late. He got up from his shady spot and dusted off his clothes. When he bent down to pick up his satchel, he noticed it was not there.

He started looking around, when he heard a noise behind him. He turned around and saw his satchel halfway under a blueberry bush. He wondered how it got there, when he realized _the bush was moving!_ In the back of his head, his conscious was telling him to go get a guard instead of dealing this on his own. His heart was telling him that he needed his bag back before that creature destroys some of his alchemy supplies.

So, with that thought in mind, he slowly approached the shrub. The noises only got louder as he got closer. He heard even though he heard a screech at one point, but knew if that was the case, a guard would already be here by now. By the time he was a foot away from the bush, he stopped and questioned himself if he was making the right choice here. Before he could tell himself no, he decided to get this over with. Varian parted the top of the shrub and saw nothing. He was so relieved to discover it was only his mind playing tricks on him when _something jumped out towards him!_

 _It was..._


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Hi, everyone! Sorry about not updating for so long, but I've been busy with family and school. With a little three year old sister, you never get some peace and quiet around to write. But, with school now, I have more peace to write in the library or computer lab than I ever do at home. This chapter would have been published yesterday night if my sister had given me an hour alone to finish editing it. So, today, before I go to work, I thought I quickly publish this chapter. I've didn't realized how much time went by since my last update. I've been working on this chapter for months now and finally, it's finished! It's longer than usual, but I thought that could make up for all that time you guys had to wait. My chapters used to be 4-7 pages long in 12 pt font, but then the count went up to 13-14 pages. And this chapter is defiantly the longest at 34 pages in the same font size as before. You would think the plot would move on faster with all these pages, but I'm a very descriptive writer who takes her time. If I could split this chapter into two, I would, but I don't think it would work as well. I'm going to start writing chapters at this length to help speed things up a bit. I'll like to thank all the people who followed, favorited, and reviewed this fanfic. Without all of you, I wouldn't be even continuing this fic. Now, to address some reviews.**

 **Troy: Varian will be spanked for belittling himself eventually, but I want to give it some time to make Eugene realize how much Varian puts himself down. And thank you for telling me my story is more than a year old now. I didn't even notice that till you pointed that out for me. Hope to read your next review soon!**

 **Drew: Yes! He gets his little friend back!**

 **IloveBBRae: It's nice to know you took the time to review. I know how you feel. I read so many fanfics on her and ao3, then most of the time, I just subscribe, favorite, and kudos, but not take the time to review. Glad to know you're becoming a fan! I happy to see you approve my writing and how humorous this fic can be at times. I'm a big fan of Varian as well and he is one of my favorite characters (Though at the moment, I'm into Voltron because the latest season just came out a while ago and I am in love with a character named James Griffin). Yes, I have . . . cliffhanged you! How could I indeed?! Yes, it is Rudiger. Thanks for reviewing!**

 **I.c.: Yes, I will make all the episodes still take place, but at a slower pace, unlike the show.**

 **WhiteCatInDisguise: Yes, I will continue this fic . . . till the end.**

 **Vfan: Happy to get your review since you don't write many of them! I'm the same way with reviews. I read tons of fanfiction daily, for years now, but I only started writing some reviews in the last few years. Yeah, I liked the idea of Eugene being a big brother character to Varian, which inspired this fic! The Cass and Varian scenes will come, soon enough! Thanks for the review!**

 **Moanafan: I'm trying to get back on some kind of writing schedule, but it's going to be hard with school and work. And sorry about not responding to your PM. I read it and loved the idea. That piece is almost done, just got to finish up the ending and I will post it soon in October. Thanks for the review!**

 **Crystal: Thanks! I will be coming back with more chapters soon . . . I hope.**

 **Joyfox7: Hmmm . . . Thank you? Nice to know you think my story is nice!**

 **MD: I'm sure you will love this chapter. I bing read fanfics all the time, so to heard you binged this fanfic is great to know how much you like it! Yes, I wonder who it could be! Thanks for the praise! I have gotten 17,000+ views on this fic, just it has shown that in the comments, favorites, and follows. From my side, I can see all the reviews quite clearly and I am surprised to even get that much attention to this fic. Hope to read your reviews again soon!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Tangled or any of its amazing characters.**

Chapter 9

 _It was . . ._

"RUDIGER!" Varian shouted as he fell down in shock when the grey furred creature jumped out of the bush onto him. The boy started giggling as the animals pink tongued started to lick his face as if it was his way of greeting him. Once he was able to get the squirming mammal off of him, he realized something.

"Rudiger! What are you doing here?!" he asked in shock, wondering how the small creature traveled all the way from the forests surrounding Old Corona to the busy capital of the Kingdom on foot. Not that he wasn't happy to see his beloved friend. He was just baffled by how he had gotten to the castle. ' _Is a raccoon's nose strong enough to follow my scent all the way here?!'_ he wondered as he sat back under the apple tree, with his hand petting the animal in his lap.

Though it would be hard to explain Rudiger to explain to others, he was relieved to have his best friend back by his side. After his mom was no longer in his life, Varian had no one left except his father. Though he started to isolate himself from everyone around him, including his only son. By the time his dad had realized what he had done in his grief, the only relation he couldn't fix was the one he had with his son. His friends fast to forgive, knowing how hard life can without the love of your life their alongside you. Everyone except Varian forgave him, building a thin wall between their worlds.

It was during this time, he had met Rudiger. The creature was only a squirming ball of fur, orphaned by the dangers of nature before he could even walk. The young boy found him lying next to his dead parents and siblings. He was starving and about ready to die when Varian decided to save him. He understood how it felt to lose family. It felt as if you were the only person in the world and had no one to depend on. So, he took him in.

It was hard. Parenting a baby raccoon is difficult, especially if the baby raccoon thinks you are his mother. His father was too distracted by his own problems to realize he agreed to let a wild animal be raised in his house. Varian did everything in his ability to save him. He asked a local animal rescuer to help him. The older man set him up with some special feeding bottles and other supplies to start out with.

The first few weeks were difficult. He woke up early every morning to feed him. The first few hours of the day consisted of him making a special drink to feed him throughout the day. The fire in the living room was never doused until late into the night. Varian soon started to feel more drawn to the small little fellow as he started to get stronger. Every small cry he heard from the tiny body had him rushing to him in worry as if he was going slip away like sand in his fingers, similar to how his mother disappeared from his life.

Over time, Rudiger grew up, in size and mind. He was smarter than other raccoons in many ways. He was able to recognize that Varian was not his mother or father because they looked nothing alike. Though it didn't really matter in his books, since Varian would always be his parent for raising him. He was also able to recognize that there was some kind of turmoil between him and his father. So, he did the only thing thought would help this situation. The only way to help Varian was to love, protect, and never leave his side. He was a smart raccoon, along with being a great friend.

Once Quirin made the connection that Rudiger was not just some friend his son talks about, he made the hard verdict. Rudiger had to go. At this point, the raccoon was one year old and mentally an adult. As much as Quirin did not want to hurt his son more than he already has, he knew this was a decision that had to be made, no matter how much it pained him to do so.

After Varian was able to train his friend to live in the wild, he let him go. His friend must have understood why he was being forced to leave the only home he had ever known, so he did. Rudiger gave his friend, _his boy_ , one last nuzzle before scampering away into the wild. The young boy had thought that was the end of it. The end of his friendship with _Rudiger_.

That was what he had thought until a week later, when that the grey furred animal showed up in his makeshift lab, in one of the newly found tunnels he discovered near his home. Ever since, Rudiger has always been a part of his life, no matter how much other people told him 'keeping wild animals was a bad habit'. ' _Besides, it's not like I keep every wild raccoon the wanders by!'_ he thought to himself every time he was faced with this 'advice' from those who thought they knew better than him.

The small creature came and went as he pleased. Sometimes, he would be sitting on Varian's bed, always using the open window for entrance. Other times, he would not visit him for days because he was too busy building his supplies for the winter. Most raccoons don't hibernate, but they do tend to hide their food to snack on later, as he discovered when he first found scattered nuts and seeds in his shoes. Their friendship was a relaxed one, though it didn't make it any less special than another. So, to find out his friend, _not his pet_ , followed him all the way from Old Corona just for him, was a shocking, but meaningful surprise for him.

"How could I forget to tell you, Rudiger?!" he cried as he tightened his grip on the bundle in his arms, "I'm sorry! I was so preoccupied with other things, I completely forgot to tell you I was going to be out of town for a while! Well, from now on, I will always remember to tell you about not being around ahead of time."

Varian held on to his furry little friend for a little bit longer till he noticed how low the sun was. He suddenly remembered something important.

"The dinner! Oh no! I promised to back an hour before the dinner and it's already way past that. I hope Eugene's not going to be too mad at me!" The boy quickly gathered his stuff when he remembered an important detail. ' _Rudiger! How I am going to explain him? I can always tell Eugene I fell asleep and forgot about the time, which is partly true. But, an unexplainable raccoon is way harder to explain than being late for something? Maybe I can hide him in my room for now. It could be like their unspoken system back home. He could play in the garden all day and sneak back into my room for the night. I don't need to tell Eugene anything.'_

Varian finished thinking up a plan for his new roommate before he figured out a way to sneak Rudiger in for now. He emptied out his satchel, hiding his things under a distinct bush, before convincing his friend to hide in the bag till they get to his room.

With his trusted companion hidden at his side, Varian left the gardens hastily. He was already late because he fell asleep and had an impromptu reunion with a dear friend. ' _Oh, Eugene's going to be so angry at me. If Dad was here, he would whoop me good before letting us go to dinner with the royal family,'_ he thought to himself, ' _Thank goodness he isn't here and that Eugene is so not my dad.'_

Varian was able to find his way back to the suite without getting lost or encountering anyone else. He opened the unlocked door, a sure sign of his new guardian being inside, and entered quietly as he could. Tiptoeing towards the ajar door of his room, he almost reached his safe haven when something unexpected happened. A loose board he stepped on let out a loud squeak.

"Varian? Is that you?" Eugene called out from his room, his heavy steps coming closer towards the passage between the two rooms.

"Quick, into that room!" Varian whispered to Rudiger as he opened his bag, letting the grey creature zoom into the room he was pointing at. The raccoon barely zipped into the open crack of the door by the time Eugene came out.

"Varian! Where have you been? We need to be in the dining room in ten minutes!" Eugene declared before he started ushering the teen towards his own room instead of the teens. "Never mind where you've been for now. We can talk about that later. You need to get ready now!"

"Wait! My room's that way. Why are taking me to your room?" Varian questions as he was pulled into the older man's living quarters.

"Because you're going to take too long getting ready if you're surrounded by your alchemy supplies. I'm not going to explain to the King and Queen that we were late because you started writing out some new ideas instead of getting ready. Besides, I got you some clothes to wear. Now, chop, chop! Get dressed," the man ordered as he gave the young alchemist a pile of clothes before he turned himself towards a mirror to finish combing his own hair.

"B-but! You don't have a dressing screen!" Varian complained.

"You don't need one. No one else is here and I'm not looking at you, so there's no need to hide behind on. Besides, it's not like I haven't seen your naked behind before," Eugene responded, teasing him a little.

The young boy pouted before he finally got changed into the set of clothes he was given. Once dressed, he approached Eugene. The older man stepped aside to let him use the only full body mirror to get his first look at himself. He was wearing a light blue long sleeved shirt with a darker green waistcoat with gold swirls near the collar. A pair of dress shoes that matched his dark slacks were handed to him to put on while Eugene tried to comb his dark mob of hair.

"Where did you get these? And in my size as well?" the teen questioned, as he tried putting on the footwear on.

"Stan got them for me. His son outgrew them a few years ago, but his wife kept all his old clothes. She was more than willing to let you use them. By the way, she wants to meet you so she could smolder you in hugs and sweets," his newly appointed hairdresser answered as he got out the last few knots in the dark mess of hair in front of him.

With the lad's hair tamed as much as possible, Eugene lead him out, making sure the doors were locked behind them. Varian didn't even get a chance to tell Rudiger to stay in his room until he comes back, with some food for him of course.

The two made it to the specified dining room quickly, but they were already twenty minutes late as it is. Cassandra was waiting outside, her foot tapping a speedy beat which stopped as soon as she spotted them.

"There you two are!" she exclaimed as they got closer to her.

"I know, I know! We're late, so no need for a lecture on how to tell time. I just need to know, how mad is the King?" Eugene verbalized his thoughts, hoping his one chance to impress the King does not go awry once more.

Cassandra smirked as she leads them to a small door right next to the entrance to the dining room. She opened the door and motioned the two behind to enter as she spoke.

"I had a feeling you boys would be late, so I told you the dinner would start at six, but it really starts at seven. Now, you guys are here earlier and can join the royal family in the sitting room for the next thirty minutes or so. Now, aren't you happy I was able to get you two here one time, early even," she said as they continued down the short hall.

"You mean to tell me I rushed through spending some time with my girlfriend, hunting down some clothes for Varian, and getting ready for dinner just to find out you planned to get us here early," Eugene whispered dangerously as his eyes narrowed at the young woman in front of him.

"Well, yes. But, now you can impress the King by being early to a dinner instead of being late," she responded back, with no fear at the man in front of her. Her father was the Captain of the Royal Guard and she was personally trained by him. Of course, she would not be afraid of a man she can take down in at least ten different ways with only her head veil alone.

"Thank you, _Cassandra_. I appreciate the thought, but I would prefer you to tell me about these kinds of things up front instead of being sneaky about them," Eugene was able to tell her gruffly, but he knew she was correct in her thinking and being early will be to his advantage.

"Your welcome, _Eugene Fitzherbert_. I will take your advice into consideration," she replied with a smile as they reached the final door at the end of the hallway.

"This door leads to the sitting room, where the King, Queen, and Rapunzel are at the moment. Rapunzel told me if you guys get here early, then she will love it if you two will join them before dinner," Cassandra explained.

"Okay, Varian?" the older man asked his young companion, who finally shook himself out of his wonder of how amazing Cassandra was, to listen to his words. "Are you ready for this? I've only known you for a few days so far, but I've already been impressed with you so far. I'm sure you'll amaze everyone in this room as well. So, there is no need to be nervous or shy about this dinner. Okay?"

Varian's mind was so full of new information, that he didn't know how to process it all. He's staying in the castle. He has his own room made just for him. His best friend from home followed him here. His mentor went through a lot of effort getting him these clothes. He might have a chance with the most beautiful person around. And he's about to meet the King and Queen for dinner. He cannot believe all that has happened in this one day.

Eugene's calm voice brought him back. His reassuring words calmed him down slowly, bringing Varian back to that ornate hallway, standing in front of the artistic doors before him. The older man placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled Varian into a half hug of sorts.

"Are you feeling better, Varian?" Eugene's voice came as the teen leaned onto his shoulder.

Varian wasn't sure what was happening to him, but all he knew was that he felt safe and comfortable to be held by this man he's only known for two days now.

"I'm okay. Just needed a moment," he responded, taking a deep breath before pulling away from Eugene, "I'm ready."

"Okay, but don't hesitate to tell me if you need to leave the room if you don't feel okay," the taller man said as he opened one of the dual doors.

Inside, the room was filled with light that danced onto the golden walls as the sun continued its slow descent in the sky. Lush violet carpets lined the floors and irreplaceable tapestries covered the walls. The three cream sofas, that surrounded a lavish wooden table, were occupied by the three royals. The King was sitting on the loveseat while the Queen and Rapunzel were seated next to each other a few feet over, both women hunched over some kind of circle with cloth in it. All eyes look up as the two men entered the room.

Eugene stepped forwards and bowed, with Varian following his lead. The ex-con gulped as he lifted his head to meet his eyes with the inexpressive eyes of the powerful man in front of him.

"Your Majesties, I would be pleased to introduce you all to my newly appointed apprentice, Varian of Old Corona," he greeted, grateful he took an etiquette class with Rapunzel a few months back. Unsurprisingly, Eugene had a natural knack for making animal shapes with his napkins.

"Ah, this is the young alchemist I've been hearing about from my daughter since yesterday," the King expressed as he approached the raven-haired boy. Varian lifted his hand to shake, but it was ignored for a more personal welcome, a strong hug.

Shocked, the teen stood there wondering why in Corona was the King hugging him? ' _Well, now I know where Rapunzel gets her power of hugs from. Wow, maybe I could do an experiment involving this weird phenomenon based on the fact everyone who ever hugs me makes me feel different. The basis for this . . .'_

He was pulled out of his thoughts as the King let him go. The crowned man chucked when he saw the bewildered looks on both the two men in front of him. He wondered if they knew how similar they were together.

"I've known your father since I put him in charge of Old Corona. You were just a little baby the last time I saw you," he explained.

The King knew he should have visited his old friend more often, but he couldn't stand the thought of seeing him and his son together. It would only serve to remind him of what he had lost. But, now it would be different. His daughter was home again. She was in love with someone, who's questionable past worries him, but he was thankful for the fact he brought her back home. His wife was no longer making anger fueled posters criminals to let out her fury on the noses of their faces. And he had a new opportunity to connect with the son of a close friend who he greatly missed. This was his chance to make things better everyone. To makes things . . . right once more.

Varian almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. His father knew the royal family of Corona?! How was this possible? And . . . why didn't he tell him? Before he could mull on these thoughts any longer, a small hand on his shoulder brought him back to the world. He looked up to see the soft green eyes of the Queen. As she gently embraced him, all Varian could do was melt into her arms. Her hug was like a warm blanket, enveloping him as if she could protect him from the world. It almost felt like . . . he was back in the arms of his . . . mom. He pulled away from the Queen, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

"Is everything alright, Varian?" the Queen's soft voice made him look up, to see all the worried faces staring back at him.

"Um, yes. My allergies are acting up. Probably because I was in the garden for so long." Varian knew it was a bad excuse, but he couldn't think of a better excuse at the moment.

Eugene was pretty sure that Varian did not have allergies. They traveled to the Capital of the Kingdom through a thick forest full of various pollinated plants and herbs. If Varian wasn't bothered by all of that, then he was pretty sure he doesn't have any plant allergies. But, it was probably best not to push the matter if they wanted to have a nice dinner.

"Okay, why don't we all have a seat," Eugene said as he tried to distract everyone from Varian. Everyone other than the teen seemed to understand his intent, so they all sat down. Varian was so thankful that everyone was not looked at him anymore as he sat next to Eugene.

"Oh, Varian! Look at this! Mom's showing me how to embroider!" Rapunzel cheerfully explained as she showed him the wooden circle with cloth in it. A small incomplete flower was partly filling in with a golden colored thread. "What do you think of it so far?"

"Hmmm. . . it's looking good so far. Though if I were you, I would chain stitch the outline of this flower first before filling it in with a satin stitch," Varian advised before he started to demonstrate. "See, now that's what you want to do with each petal before filling it in, one by one." He handed the wooden circle back to Rapunzel before he looked up to see the surprised faces all around him.

"What?" Varian questioned, wondering why everyone was staring at him.

"Nothing, Varian. We're just surprised at how much you know about embroidery," the Queen consoled, hoping to avoid any miscommunication with the teen.

"I can't believe you know how to embroider! Now, you and Mom can both teach me! You should join us for our evening tea we have a few times a week. That's when we usually work on this kind of stuff!" Rapunzel explained brightly.

"Oh, no! You don't have to invite me," the boy tried to clarify, knowing how the Queen might just want to have some alone time with her only daughter after going so many years with her. He knew how it felt to lose . . . someone important.

"But, we would love to have you join us, Varian. I would really be happy if you would join us during tomorrow," the Queen said, hoping that Varian would say yes. She wanted to get to know Varian more than the baby she knew many years ago.

Varian wasn't sure if he should be intruding on their special time together, but the Queen seemed so nice and happy to him so far. ' _I don't want to disappoint her by saying no,'_ he thought to himself. ' _I'll say yes and join them sometimes, but not every time.'_

"Okay, if you're sure I'm not going to be in the way, then I'll join you two for tea tomorrow."

All of the people around him frowned, even Rapunzel, who's always so cheery. The teen wasn't sure why, but he hoped it wasn't because of something he did without realizing. He didn't want to be in trouble already.

"Varian, I'm sure the Queen doesn't think you'll be in their way. In fact, you won't be in anyone's way because we want you to be here. You understand?" Eugene knew he promised Varian a spanking for degrading himself and these kinds of comments count as well. But, the kid just got here and he probably didn't realize what he was saying. But, he had to be firmer if he wanted to be a good mentor. He can't just promise to do something and not act when the time comes for that promise to be fulfilled. ' _If Varian talks badly about himself or gets into any other trouble, I will have to spank him,'_ Eugene thought to himself.

Varian nodded in response to Eugene's words and looked at the floor, not sure what to say anymore. Before anyone else could say anything, a loud knock was heard. Cassandra walked in.

"Dinner is ready to be served," she announced as she opened a door connected to the sitting room, to reveal a larger room. Everyone got up and followed her in. The dining room was very elegantly decked in stunning gold ribbons that complements the soft lavender walls. A wooden dining table was in the center of the room, with six chairs around it.

"We use this table for family dinners a few times a week," the Queen explained as she sat in her chair at one end of the table.

"Though we only use it when we're not busy," the King continued as he took his seat at the other end of the table.

Rapunzel sat down on the closest seat to her mother, while Varian sat across from her. Either way, Eugene was forced to sit next to the King anyway possible, so he sat next to Varian. He thought this would give him some silent support. As they started to eat and talk, time flew by.

By the time everyone was finished with their dessert, Varian felt more relaxed and less anxious then he was before. He was kind of surprised when everyone made sure to include him in the conversation, especially because it seemed like the King and Queen were actually interested in talking to him. He already got to talk to Rapunzel yesterday and a lot more with Eugene, but the rulers of Corona?! That was something he never realized could actually happen in his life. But, after talking to them both, along with the other two, he felt more comfortable living in the Castle now.

As everyone got out of their seats to retreat to their rooms, the Queen made a small announcement before anyone was out the door.

"Eugene, Varian. We all enjoyed this lovely dinner tonight, so I would like to continue having dinners like this from now on. Maybe once or twice a week, we can all join for dinner. We can discuss which days tomorrow. Oh, and Varian! Remember, tea is at three in the afternoon. Rapunzel, would you be able to take Varian to the patio?"

"Sure, Mom. Oh, I can't wait till then. Good night, Mom, Dad, Eugene, and Varian!"

"Good night, everyone," the young teen declared as he turned to leave.

"Same to all," Eugene called out as he turned to follow Varian when the King abruptly spoke.

"Oh, Eugene. Do you have some time to talk to me? My study's nearby."

"Of course, your majesty," the young man replied with a nervous chuckle, hoping this wasn't the end of his life. He turned to Varian, handing him the keys to their suite.

"Varian, get ready for bed. You don't have to go to sleep, so if you want to wait up for me, you can, okay?"

"Okay, Eugene," the teen replied before he hurried off.

Eugene turned to the King and followed him out.

Varian tried not to run as he rushed toward their room. He got their quite fast and quickly unlocked the door. He kicked off his dress shoes and left the keys on the table next to the door. Varian took out a napkin full of scraps from the dinner as he walked toward his room.

"Rudiger, I'm back! Come see what I brought you!" he called out as he walked into his room before he noticed something. There was no squeaky chattering or a small ball of fur coming towards him. Varian looked around in his room before he found the source of his problem . . . the window . . . is open!

"Oh no! Rudiger got out! I have to find him before Eugene comes back!" the boy cried as he raced towards the door. He put on his black boots, ignoring the dress shoes from earlier, and hurried out of the suite. He forgot to grab the keys or even close the door completely in his rush.

' _Hopefully, I can find Rudiger before anyone sees him or worse, before Eugene finds out I'm not in our apartment,'_ Varian thought to himself as he sunk out to the courtyard. A set of muddy paw prints trialed out, giving him a place to start his unexpected game of hide and go seek with a sneaky raccoon.

In the meantime, Eugene was seated in the King's study, waiting for the older man to speak up first. He hoped he was not in trouble for something.

"Eugene, I wanted to talk to you because I have been . . . impressed with your actions recently."

"Okay! I'm sorr-Wait! What?"

"Yes, I know. It's quite surprising after I have been acting . . . strict towards you for your past actions. But, now, I'm truly seeing you in a new light. When Rapunzel told me, you agreed to mentor a young child, I was very shocked and quite worried. But, after seeing you and Varian together today, I have no more worried about you being a bad mentor. I'm sure you will be a great source of guidance for him."

"Your majesty, I'm stunned and quite frankly, worried you've been replaced by a lookalike. But, I'm not sure I will be a good mentor at all. I have a hard time relating to the kid and being strict with him is out of the picture."

"Oh, Eugene. I'm sure you will be able to find a way to connect with him. In fact, you might have already done so. As for being strict with him, that can be difficult for someone who has never been in a position of authority before. But, once you get over the first few hurdles, I'm sure you'll be able to get the hang of it."

"I know, but Quirin wants me to punish Varian just like he does, But, I've never spa-punished anyone before."

"So, you're unsure of how to punish Varian because you never spanked anyone before."

"Wha-how did you know I would have to spank him?"

"Well, most parents spank their kids. As a young prince, I traveled quite a bit before I became King. I mentored a few princes during that time, so I did have to punish some of them with this method."

"You did? But, I always thought royalty never gets punished."

"Oh, Eugene. Of course not. Royal families are like normal families as well."

"Uh, yes! Royalty is normal. Right."

"So, where was I? Oh, yes! The first time I tried to be a mentor, I had a hard time being strict. My student was a prince who is now the King of his kingdom. He's become a symbol of strength as his people went through some disasters a few years back. But, he wasn't always like that."

"What do you mean?"

"As a young teen, he was always getting into trouble and things were getting out of hand. No matter what I did, it wouldn't work out."

"So, what did you do?"

"I was just about ready to give up until I had a long talk with his father, the King at the time. He told me that he had not been able to give his son enough attention since his wife died. He promised to spend more time with him and be stricter when I was going to leave in a month. But, at the moment he wanted me to punish his son like he used to."

"You don't mean?"

"Yes. He wanted me to spank his son while I was his mentor. Though I was nervous, I spanked him the next time he acted up. It worked pretty well. His behavior drastically improved and we actually got to bond more without any problems. Though I left, I made sure to visit a few times and stayed in contact with him. His father kept the promise he made. Now, I'm proud to receive letters from him asking for advice."

"So, you think spanking Varian will make a big difference if he acts up?"

"Yes. I highly advise you to not go easy on him when you spank him for the first time."

"Why not?"

"Because if you don't make that first spanking memorable, he will try to test you and get into more trouble faster."

"Okay, I'll . . . try to be strict on him if I have to spank him."

"I'm sure you eventually will. Varian seemed like a pretty good kid, but he's still a teen. Every teen gets into some trouble once in a while."

"Yeah. I sure got into trouble quite often at that age."

The two continued to talk, forgetting about the difficulties they used to have a few months ago. Now, it felt like they were just two old friends talking about old times. Eugene never thought he would be having this kind of light-hearted conversation with the King six months ago and definitely not a few years ago. It seems everything was working out just fine.

Elsewhere in the Castle, Varian found a set of footprints leading to the stables. Before he even checked out the wooden building, he made sure to erase the small raccoon footprints in the dirt and pavement as best as he could. ' _I don't want anyone to even suspect there is a raccoon in the castle all because I forgot to hide these tracks,'_ the boy thought to himself.

As soon as he was done, he stood in front of the stable doors. ' _I really hope Rudiger is here,"_ he wished to himself.

Varian opened the doors to see the room was dimly lit by a single lantern on a table nearby. All the horses were surprisingly awake and it was clear to see why. There was a large barrel of apples that seemed to be dancing with the way it was shaking and Varian had a really good guess of who in it. He approached the vat of produce and out popped . . . Rudiger!

"Rudiger, there you are!" he called out as he grabbed his beloved friend who was also happy to see him. Before he could say anything else, a loud neigh got Varian attention. He turned around to see Maximus in his stall. The boy nervously smiled as he approached the tall horse, who was giving him a sharp glare.

"Um . . . hey, Max! You wouldn't be willing to keep this little night time visitor a secret, would you?" Varian tried to convince the horse with his puppy dog eyes, but the stallion would not budge. Max motioned his head out towards the barrel of apples and Varian sighed.

"You'll keep our visit a secret if I give you some extra apples?"

Max let out a shrill whinny and moved his head towards the other horses.

"Okay, okay! I'll give you and your friends some apples, as long Eugene or anyone else for that matter don't find out about this situation, okay?"

The equine nuzzled the boy's face in return. Varian let out a few giggles and ran his hands through the horse's mane.

"Thanks for the affection, Max. But, I gotta go soon. I'll get you all your apples and then we'll have to go."

After making sure all the horses had some apples in their troughs, Varian said his good nights to Maximus and left the stables. He tried his best to be quiet as he snuck back into the castle. Thankfully, Rudiger was content with tangling himself around the teen's neck like a scarf. He was so sure he would be able to make it back to their room without any guards noticing when suddenly he bumped into something.

*CRASH*

Down came the suit of armor he stumbled into. Though he was pretty sure it was not broken, it unquestionably alerted the guards. Lanterns started lighting the hallways as the guards came near.

"Who's there?!" a loud voice echoed behind him.

Varian hurried down the hallways, trying to make sure he was going the right way. ' _If I can reach the suite, maybe the guards won't realize that was me!'_ he thought to himself as ran down the corridor, trying to keep ahead of the guards.

In the King's study, Eugene didn't realize what time it was till he took a look at the grandfather clock in the corner. He got up from his seat as he spoke.

"Your majesty, this talk has truly been enjoyable. But, as much as I would love to continue to talk, I really must be going now. It's been at least an hour we've been talking and Varian might still be waiting up for me. If I knew I was going to be this late coming back, I would have told him to not wait up on me."

"I understand, Eugene. I enjoyed our conversation as well. Don't worry. We will most likely be able to talk like this more in the future. Now, you might as well get going. Varian's probably falling asleep as we speak."

"Have a good night," Eugene said as he started to step out of the study.

"Good night to you as well," the King said as he started to turn back when a loud commotion brought his attention to the closest intersection hallway. He and Eugene looked on as a scrawny figure rushed out from there and started to turn. A few guards were right behind him and the closest one was able to grab the intruder's wrist. The guard proceeded to hold on to the trespasser in a strong bear hug.

"I got him! I got him!" the guard yelled out as his fellow comrades stopped moving as they panted in place. Eugene could recognize Pete's voice anywhere, but he wondered how he was holding on to their intruder so easily. The Caption sprinted up to the group.

"Good job, Pete!" Stan praised as he approached his friend when suddenly Pete let out a scream.

"What's wrong?" the Captain asked cautiously.

"There's some kind of creature with him! I can feel its fur against my face!" the young guard whispered fearfully.

"What is going on here?!" the King asked sharply as he and Eugene strolled forward. "And would anyone light up these lanterns so we can actually see?"

A few of the guards used their small lanterns to light up the ones in the hallways and suddenly they could all see their so-called 'intruder.' Most of them clearly recognized the skinny teen with his raven black mob of hair and shiny blue eyes. Eugene was flabbergasted to see his ward instead of a seedy criminal.

"Varian?" the older man uttered softly as he took in the scene. He noticed the muddy boots and the grey raccoon as he slowly realized what was going on. He didn't know everything, but he was sure of a few things. Varian disobeyed him and snuck out of the castle for this animal! Eugene's surprise turned into anger as he realized how much danger Varian could have been in if the guards decided to use their swords instead of their arms to catch him. Eugene might have been nervous about spanking him earlier, but now, he couldn't think of a more just punishment even if he tried.

The King, realizing this was a personal issue Eugene had to address with Varian, turned to talk to the Captain discreetly.

"Captain, this seems to be a misunderstanding," the King explained.

"I understand, sir. But, if it would be possible, would it be possible for me to have a chance to talk to the boy sometime tomorrow. I want to make sure he won't lead my men on a wild goose chase like this again," the Captain replied back.

"Of course, Captain. I'll tell Eugene to send Varian your way tomorrow."

"Thank you, sir." The Captain motioned his men to follow him. Pete had already let of Varian at this point. Eventually, Varian was left to the clutches of Eugene with only the King to calm the angered man down.

"Varian! What is going on? Why were you creeping around the castle like a thief? And why do you have that creature with you?" Eugene is usually a pretty chill kind of guy, but after this long day and finding out Varian has been getting into trouble so soon has really stressed the man out.

"Eugene, calm down. Scaring Varian will not help this situation at all. Take a few deep breaths before you speak," the King told Eugene. While Eugene tried to calm down, the King turned to Varian.

"Varian, please go to your room and get ready for bed. Eugene will be there soon. And . . . we can talk about keeping the raccoon in the morning, okay?"

The teen nodded his head and turned around, keeping his raccoon close to him as he walked down the hall.

The King reentered his study to find Eugene pacing around the room.

"Eugene, try to relax and calm down. Take a seat and tell me what you want to do now," the King suggested as he sat down.

Eugene sat down and tried to calm down, but his face still gave away how he felt.

"I don't know what to do now! I mean I was angry just a few minutes ago, but now, all I feel is worry!"

"Worry for Varian?"

"Yes. I mean, at first, I was angry at him for disobeying me and running around causing trouble. But, then I realized that he wasn't just causing trouble, he was putting himself in danger. The guards could have hurt him! He could have tripped and hurt himself! Even that raccoon he had could have been rabid! I don't think I can handle being a mentor if this is how every day will be!"

"Calm down, Eugene. Everything's fine. Varian's not hurt. But, you're right. He could have been seriously hurt today. So, this means you have to step up as his teacher and punish him for his mistakes. And I'm sure every day will not be like today was."

"Okay, I think I feel better now. I just needed to let out my worries." Even though he got his panicking out of the way, he still wanted to hide out here for a few more hours. But, he knew that was not an option. He had to go back to their room and deal with Varian. ' _I hope he didn't fall asleep, but if he did, then I'll just have to spank him in the morning,'_ he thought to himself.

"I think I now realize why his dad spanks Varian. Whenever he gets into any trouble, he's putting himself and others in danger. Even though I only have known him for two days, I feel a connection to him and a need to protect him. If I have to spank him to protect him, then I rather do that then see him get hurt."

The King smiled at Eugene after hearing his thoughts. His opinion on Eugene was very different a few days ago, even months ago. A year ago, he had thought Flynn Rider was a no good thief from what he heard from others. But, after he brought his daughter back to him, he realized there was more to Flynn Rider. That 'more' was Eugene Fitzherbert. Eugene tried his best to change his ways to date his daughter. In truth, the King didn't hate Eugene. But, he did try to act like the disapproving father because Eugene was dating his long-lost daughter. If he was just Rapunzel's rescuer and not her boyfriend, the King would have been much more welcoming upfront. Besides, if he really hated the ex-thief, he would have tried to throw him out already. Not that he would have succeeded, since his wife has practically adopted the young man into their family the moment he returned their daughter to them and Rapunzel would probably run away just be with him. Now that Varian was here, Eugene has already started to change himself to guide another. ' _In a way, he reminds me of . . . myself,'_ the King thought to himself.

"It's good to hear you say that, Eugene. Now, you better go before Varian gets himself into a frenzy while waiting for you. We can talk about the raccoon in the morning," the King said as both men got up. They parted their way after leaving the room, both going to their separate ways that are still intertwined with one another.

In their suite, Varian sat on his bed, dressed in his pajamas, anxious about his fate. He was so sure everything was going so well, but he just had to go ruin it. He should have told Eugene about Rudiger right away. He might have even let him keep his friend. Worst case scenario, he would have been sent back to Old Corona. Now, both of them might get sent back to Corona. He just buried his head in his pillow and wished he could stop getting into trouble all the time.

Rudiger tried to comfort his human, but nothing would work. He tried to cuddle, tickle him, plus he even brought him toys like the Funny Hair's rope or the weird claw with fur in it. When Varian gave him no response, the raccoon tossed the now soggy rope to the side, along with the furry claw. Finally, he just dragged the napkin full of scraps to the living room and sat in the corner. The animal hoped Funny Hair can help Varian, even if he had to help him like Big Man used to with his hand.

Eugene entered the suite and was relieved to see Varian's boots by the door. He noticed the raccoon in the corner of the room and grabbed some berries from the fruit bowl in the kitchen for him. He quietly set them in front of the animal and hoped it wouldn't claw out his eyes. The creature got closer and instead of eating the food or attacking, it touched Eugene's hand with its paw. The man was surprised, but something made him feel that this animal understood a lot more than most people would assume. The animal looked towards the hallway and Eugene realized he was worried about Varian. He petted the raccoons head and reassured him before he got up.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of Varian. You can come in after I'm done punishing him."

The creature sat back down as Eugene went to his room. He looked in his bags till he found it, the hairbrush. He had hoped he would never have a use for it, but now he had one. He had to get through Varian's head that what he did tonight was dangerous and the hairbrush was the key to that. He had to let Varian know that from now on, if he puts his life in danger, then he can always expect the hairbrush to accompany his spanking. He took the hairbrush out of the wooden box and put it in his back pocket. He left his room, going to the one across from his. He knocked on the door before entering.

When Varian heard the knock, he sat up and wiped away the few tears he shed. He looked down as Eugene entered. The older man pulled out the desk's wooden chair and beckoned Varian to sit directly in front of him. After the teen did so, the man started to speak.

"I should have told you about the rules earlier today, but I never got the chance to. Now, we have to talk about certain rules that will be in place. The first rule is to always be respectful. That means no attitude, backtalk, or lying. Second rule, I expect you to be back in our suite by 8 pm every night. I don't expect you to be cooped up in here all the time, so once you make a few friends in town, I'm sure you'll lose track of time. But, that will not excuse not being back here on time. The last and most important rule is not to do anything that will put you in danger, which includes sneaking out and doing experiments. Do you understand these rules, Varian?"

Eugene waited until Varian looked up and nodded his head before he continued.

"I know you probably didn't realize or mean to, but you technically broke the most important rule by mistake. If it were any of the other rules, I would have let it go because you didn't know any of the rules on your first day."

Varian looked up, hopeful that this meant he might not be in trouble. Eugene didn't want to take away his hope, but he had no other choice.

"But, I can't ignore the fact that you disobeyed me. I told you to get ready for bed and instead you go running around the castle putting yourself in danger. I used to be a thief, a very good one, but I was never strong or dangerous like some of the more rugged thugs. I know better than anyone else in this castle on how dangerous the guards can be if they start pulling out their weapons. I never got caught, but I did get injured way more than people might have assumed. What you did tonight was dangerous and foolish? If the guards had to chase you a bit longer, the Captain would have ordered them to start using their weapons. You could have been seriously hurt today, which is why . . . I have to spank you."

Varian was feeling guiltier as Eugene continued to scold him about his actions tonight. When finished talking and declared he would be spanking him, his heart dropped. He knew Eugene had permission to spank him, but Varian never expected him to actually go through with it.

"NO! You can't! I promise to listen to you from now on! I'll follow all the rules from now on!" the boy cried, scared at the prospect of going over his hero's lap.

"Yes, I can spank you and I will. This will be a reminder for you to listen and follow the rules I have given you today. Now, I want you to come over here and let's get this over with," Eugene sternly told the boy, trying his best to into his want of forgoing the punishment.

Varian knew he had no option left by to obey him. His father already approved of Eugene to spank me, so if he tried to get out of this, he knew his father would be displeased and he would have an even worse spanking waiting for him. So, the teen slowly stood up and hesitantly started to cross the small space between him and Eugene.

The older man patiently waited until Varian got close enough. He gently tipped the boy over his lap and contemplated on what to do next. Eugene never had to spank anyone before, so he had no idea on how to do this. Using his memory of Quirin spanking Varian, he started to pull down the kid's britches and underclothing. Varian was dreading the spanking that would soon come as he was pulled over the man's lap. When Eugene started to bare him, Varian was mortified and hoped this would soon end.

Once Varian's backside was bared, Eugene had no other choice, but to begin. He raised his hand and brought down his hand softly on the bottom before him. When Varian didn't react as he did with the spanking he got yesterday, Eugene tried again, this time with some more power. When the boy gave a small yelp, the man continued with those kinds of swats. Soon, he got some kind of pattern going as the spanking continued.

Varian was tense when the first swat came down and surprisingly, it did not hurt at all! ' _Maybe Eugene's never spanked anyone before. Hopefully, the rest of the spanking will be like this,'_ he thought to himself. But, his hopes were dashed as the next swat felt remarkably like how his father's. He let out a yelp at the sharp swat, but he didn't have much time to adjust to the new change as the swats continued to rain down on his backside. Soon his cried and yelps were the only sounds as a familiar burning sensation started to take over his bottom.

Eugene may have never spanked anyone before, but he was a quick learner as he used the knowledge he learned from the day before. His worries about Varian's safety helped him ignore the boy's cries. As the teen's bottom started to take on a dark pink-almost reddish hue, Eugene tried to remember what Quirin did next. ' _I think he lifted his knee and smacked down here,'_ the man followed his thought process by lifting his right knee and aimed for Varian's undercurve.

When Varian felt Eugene shift his leg up, he knew what was coming and he did not like it one bit. His squirming elevated to kicking. The burning in his bottom just transformed into a full forest fire.

When one of Varian's feet almost hit him, Eugene knew he had to do something. ' _But, what could I do?'_ he thought to himself. There was no one to hold down his legs and he hasn't even used the hairbrush yet. So, he decided to try warning Varian to stop.

"Varian, stop it with the kicking right now unless . . . you want to have another conversation like this tomorrow," Eugene warned. He didn't want to threaten the kid, but he had no idea of what else to do. He'd better send Quirin a letter alongside Varian's sometime this week.

"No! I'll stop kicking!" Varian didn't want another spanking lined up before he even got through this one. He forced his legs to stay down.

Eugene was grateful to see Varian listen to him. He really didn't want to promise him another spanking before this one wasn't even over. With his legs out of the way, Eugene gave Varian's under curve a few more swats before he lowered his leg and returned to the boy's pinkened cheeks.

Varian was relieved when Eugene lowered his leg, but inwardly groaned when the spanking did not end.

Eugene wanted to end the spanking, but he wanted to make sure Varian knew the error of his ways before he finished off with the hairbrush.

"E-ugene! Please stop!"

"We're almost done. I just need you to answer one question for me, okay?"

Varian hated to be asked questions whenever he's being spanked. His Dad liked using this quite a lot. But, like always, he had no other choice if he ever wanted this spanking to end.

"O-okay."

"Good. Now, why are being spanked today?"

Eugene slowed his swats down, giving some time in between each one. They were crisp enough to sting, but not enough to do much more damage to the dusty pink bottom before him.

Varian welcomed the more bearable spanking, but he would have preferred it to end completely.

"Because I snuck Rudiger in. And I made you look bad in front of the King."

Eugene sighed at the answer he received. He had basically spelled out what he did wrong before the spanking and Varian was still thinking about the situation in a way that put more blame on him rather than his actions. The older man amped up his swats and aimed lower towards Varian's sit-spots. Varian let out a yelp in protest at the change of pace.

"No, Varian. That is not why you're being spanked. I would have like you to tell me about the raccoon instead of trying to hide him, but that would not have earned you your first spanking from me. And you did not make me look bad in front of the King. Even if you did, I wouldn't care about that. Now, let's get back on topic," Eugene slowed down the spanking once more. "Why are you being spanked?"

Varian was so overwhelmed with everything that he decided to just give up. He hid his face in his hands and just sobbed.

"I don't know!"

Eugene felt horrible to be the person whose bring Varian to tears like this, but he knew it had to be down. He lessened his swats to soft pats before he prompted the teen.

"Come on, Varian. I know you know the answer already. You just need to remember it."

Varian tried to wipe some of the tears on his face away, but he was unsuccessful at that. He thought about what he did wrong and how Eugene was explaining the rules to him. Suddenly, he knew the answer.

"I know what I did wrong! I put myself in danger by sneaking out."

Eugene was proud of Varian for not giving up. Now, he can move on to the last part of the spanking. He stopped spanking and rested his hand on the Varian's dark pink bottom. Varian was relieved when the spanking stopped, but he was slightly worried when he wasn't let up.

"Varian, I'm proud of you for finding the right answer and admitting your mistake in a way. Sometimes we try to avoid talking about our mistakes even when we should, which is why I asked you that question. I wish we could end this matter right now, but we can't."

Eugene took out the hairbrush from his back pocket and tapped it on one of the boy's cheeks.

"From now on, you can expect a spanking when you do anything that will earn you one. And this is what you can expect to feel any time you endanger yourself or others. You're lucky you're only getting a taste of it today."

Varian turned his head back to see Eugene raised the dreaded hairbrush. He let out a wail as it landed. Eugene brought the hairbrush down four times in total, covering each of Varian's cheeks and sit-spots. The teen continued to sob, not even noticing that the spanking ended.

Eugene placed the hairbrush down and rubbed Varian's back. Eventually, Varian's sobs and cries subsided to just sniffles. Eugene stood the boy up and leaned down to pull his britches up. Varian let out a whimper as the clothing brushed over his scorching bottom, but quieted down as Eugene pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Varian, your dad gave me that hairbrush so I can use it to take care of you. I never thought I might actually have to use it . . . until today. Now, I realized that taking care of you included spanking you at times. I would rather spank you then risk you losing your life because I wasn't strict enough with you. If anything ever happened to you, I don't know how I would live knowing it was because of me."

Varian felt bad for making Eugene feel this way. He didn't realize how much his actions would have affected his mentor. He promised himself to be better tomorrow.

"I'm . . . sorry, Eugene."

"I know, buddy. I know."

Eugene patted Varian's back, consoling him with his silent gesture.

"After being punished, whether it being a spanking or just being grounded, you'll always be forgiven, Varian."

The two stayed like this for a few more minutes of peach before Varian let out a yawn.

"Okay, Var. Let's get you to bed, now."

Varian didn't protest as Eugene picked him up and laid him down in bed, bottom side up. Eugene sat down on the edge of the bed and stayed with him. He ran his fingers through Varian's mob of hair quietly as he reflected on the sequence of events that occurred today. ' _If every day was anything like today, then I will have my hands full with Varian,"_ he thought to himself before he remembered something. ' _But, I won't be alone. Rapunzel will be at my side. And her parents will most likely help out as well. In fact, I'm pretty sure a lot of people will be happy to help me take care of Varian, if how Cassandra interacting with him and Stan's wife lending clothes was anything to go by. I think we'll be just fine.'_

Eugene stopped his fingers as he saw the teen asleep. He covered him up before getting up to leave, making sure to turn the lamp off. As soon as he opened the door, Rudiger darted in. He settled himself on the bed, right next to Varian. The teen loosely looped an arm around him. Eugene smiled at the scene before he left the room, making sure the door was cracked open.

The stars and moon shined outside, while Eugene and Varian both slumbered peacefully for the night.


End file.
